A good tired...

Tonight I am tired in a way I haven't experienced in months; my legs and body are tired from riding. Multiple days of riding. I can't put into words how nice this feeling is. It is long, long, long overdue- as evidenced by my ever increasing weight. Once things kicked off over the summer with my return to traveling and work completely got busy all the time, riding vanished from my life. Before last week, I probably hadn't done a lunch time bike ride in about 3 months. The ride I did in Taiwan on December 7th was one of the first rides I had done in weeks and the longest I'd done in many months- possibly the longest since my crash in April. However, after that ride, I've only been able to ride on my SoulVille with my daughter for a couple miles at a lazy pace. Not that I'm complaining about riding with my daughter... but it isn't like a training ride.

This past week I actually rode at work during lunch for 3 days in a row. The first time I have done that in 3-4 months. I suffered like a pig to ride over a short loop that I have used as my recovery route or warm up route before race night at the track. Still, it was great to be ON a bike and it always only takes a few seconds for me to remember why I love to ride and why I love what I get to do for a living.

Yesterday and today I got out by myself for a bit of riding. Not much, of course, but a good couple hours each time. Yesterday was a nice loop I have done for the better part of the past 17 years. It was windy as all heck, with gusts reaching 30mph I am sure. Still, in between the moaning and groaning, I was happy as hell to be out. I got out on my wonderful Scandiun/ Carbon Gran Criterium prototype and really reconnected with why I love the bike so much. And... the purple paint is just too sweet!

Today, after putting the bike back together- it's been in my bike case since my return from Montreal in September- I got out on my Speciale Fixed. This is the bike that I have put more miles on than any other bike in my stable of bikes. I'm a spoiled guy and have more bikes than I should... but I love them all. That said, the Fixed is just such a joy to ride. Sure, I customized it a bit with some old track parts I have and a few other goodies... but I do love the way the thing rides.

Not a terrible day in SoCal- lightweight armwarmer day today.


A lot of blue in those skies today!


And there she is! My beloved fixed gear. A real dream to ride. I was very happy to spend a few hours on it.

Jersey is courtesy of my "keirin racing brother" in Tokyo. I figured, since I was on a fixed gear, I'd ride with pride in the special jersey in solidarity!

Admittedly, nearly 3 hours on the fixed gear, with the hills I had to ride, was a bit more than I should've bitten off. My legs, arms and neck were wasted by the time I got home. I was worn out and tired... that good kind of tired that goes deep into the muscles and reminds you why you ride.

After a shower and some lunch, I even hopped out on my SoulVille SS and ran to Trader Joe's for a few staple items. My legs were barking at me and I felt like I'd just finished riding something much more challenging... but I was happy to be spinning again, twice in the same day!

I hope your weekends were full of miles or some other activity that fills you with happiness. My daughter is asleep and snoring now... I will be soon too. The sleep of the tired. The sleep of sore muscles. The good sleep.

Tim