[newleaf150]

This is getting tiresome: the creeping crud I found turns out to be another case of Covid. Managed a short walk yesterday but only with the help of my inhaler. I'm grateful to have the medication available, but sure do miss the days when I didn't need it.

Last time I had Covid, I barely noticed the illness itself, but the months of Long Covid which followed were no fun at all. This time, I'm hoping the fact that the infection has straight laid me out points to it going away rather than lingering forever as last time. In any event, I'm not likely to be getting much if any saddle time in the days to come.

 

[maelochs]

Not yet, but I rode the last two days and feel pretty good today, so ....

I have been doing shorter rides just to get out on the bike. I am so sick of going outside into the beautiful weather and thinking, "I should have ridden today ... "

I am not that old, I really am not, yet it seems that so many issues of mental and physical health cut into my riding time ... and I am semi-retired, but it seems that my limited work schedule always ruins my plans .... I have decied I'd rather do an hour or so on a bike than no hours on a bike.

I look back on the days when I looked forward to going out on Sunday and riding until I got to some road I had never seen before, which usually meant going further in some direction than I had ever been before, because I knew I could ride back however far I went. Now I worry about anything over 20-30 miles ... it is pathetic, but here I am, so I can either lament the losses or ride the bike however far I can.

I can accept that 300 yards at three percent is a "challenging hill" .... I can accept that after that I might need to coast a while to catch my breath .... because I can also accept sitting agianst the couch watching TV, but after suffering up the tiny bump in the road i feel a lot better.

People always told me that it sucks, getting old ... i thought they meant, it sucks Being old .... now I am finding that it sucks pretty hard just getting there.

 

[i12ride]

the main point is the ride.....i ride same stuff most of the time due to time and responsibility constraints but don't care. crank up the bluetoof speaker, hop on and it's all about the bike and the action of the ride and whatever the climate is throwing at me is just secondary and OK. Being on the bike, hammering it to my limits, sprinkling in rewarding gravity related shenanigans and thanking God for the ability to do so at this point in my life is what it's all about for me. Enjoy the moments, performance level compared to others is irrelevant. Having fun is winning!.........i12ride, always. iluv2ride, always.

and sometimes i just throw on flip flops or even barefoot and casual around on the commuter or the chopper or cruiser with no performance or mileage or direction in mind at all. IOWA....which means I'm Out Wandering Around. ride2live, live2ride......

 

[i12ride]

How many of you, on occasion, just stare at your bikes and reminisce about previous rides? and/or what next upgrade should be. I know I do. Lots of bikes and rides to ponder is a great thing.

now i have to go pick one and RIDE!!!

 

[maelochs]

Almost every time I look at my Cannondale Rize I think about how its ridiculously amazing suspension helped me clear some stuff I would never have been able to get over, even when I was in great shape, and riding a lot so my bike-handling skills were much better .... then I think how I wish I were healthy enough to go back and try again. I have relived that moment many, many times ....

I am not planning any upgrades on any of my bikes, beyond tuning up the engine.

Actually, when I look at my rack of bikes I usually just feel appreciation for all the great times they have helped me experience. I usually only think of specific moments in conversations, real or online, with other riders.

Today I responded to Rolling_NoMad's question about flat-bar touring, and was transported back to somewhere around 1990, riding out to a two-day party on some farm a few towns removed from the ugly city where I lived. Not even a "special" ride ... just a long, relaxed haul on a loaded bike which fit me well and was tuned up perfectly.

Now that makes me think of a stretch of a tour in 2001 (?) when I was on a fully loaded, massively rebuilt/modified Schwinn .... that whole tour was just packed with moments of pure riding joy.

Man, I need to get away from the computer and out on the bike ... Now I am stuck here in the past. Look what you did ...

 

[newleaf150]

Just yesterday, I went out to the bike shed and just stood there for a while, staring at my bikes and missing them, one after the next. Thanks to Covid, that's the closest I've been to a saddle in weeks. I hope to change that sooner than later, but my recovery is characteristically slow. It's nice to read about bikes and bike trips in the mean time, but I'd rather be riding.

 

[maelochs]

I will dedicate my next ride to the improving health of Mr. Newleaf ... but it won't be until Monday soonest. Hang in there.

I know from a lifetime of lung infections, (and the whole month of October) how bad this sucks. But at least here we see you as a healthy, happy person ... just on vacation in Hell.

 

[Dos_Ruedas]

No ride in many days.
New work assignment (for five weeks) has me working 90-100 hours a week.
There just hasn’t been time.

I’m hoping this week to take a morning break and hit the stationary bike & weights each day.
Time will tell.

Newleaf, keep your head on straight and push through this. You’ll be riding again in no time.

 

[maelochs]

Dos, you had best be getting mega-rich, for all the work you are doing.

I hope all this stuff works out properly for all of us.

 

[newleaf150]

Thanks for the well wishes, guys. I am on the mend, but it's slow.

Today I did at least take action on the cycling snack front: I pulled 6lbs of London Broil from the freezer and dug up an old recipe for beef jerky. Mrs. Newleaf's super meat slicer made short work of the meat, frozen or not. This is the first time I've tried it and I was pleased. Previously the slicing process was more of a PITA. I hope this means I'll do this more frequently going forward. Store-bought jerky is quite good, but it's got nothing on The Real McCoy.

I need to get back in the saddle.

 

[Dos_Ruedas]

I did 17+ miles on the very uncomfortable hotel fitness room bicycle yesterday.
No television. Very boring.
No time today.