The Longest (and best) Bike Ride Ever (this year) (so far)

Sometimes you need to take a day off to simply re-charge your batteries. Sometimes you need to play hooky for no reason other than wanting to. Ferris Bueller did it, why can't we?

I took yesterday off work to take advantage of the dwindling beautiful weather. I had one item on my agenda: to ride.

I woke up later than usual (because I could!), and rolled around in bed (because I could!). I finally got up, had some breakfast, and wallowed in the beautiful morning sun.

When I finally headed out the door to ride, the sun was warm, the breeze was slight, and the roads were somwhat clear of morning traffic.

For the last month or so, I have been tweaking "the filly" - my year and a half old bike that has possibly been making my back worse off than usual. Yesterday, before I rode, I made a final tweak to my seat. Finally, she's all adjusted - just in time for fall...

I reset my bike computer, and rolled down the driveway... down the street... and I was flying. Past the park where Sheryl and I celebrated our wedding with friends and family... through the neighborhood... past the breakfast diners and coney islands...

I rode past Jill Jack's home, and the miles ticked by on the odometer...

"Hey Bulldog", by the Beatles ran through my head the entire way, and I thought about how much car prices suck these days. I thought about how the sequence of events that led to my having to buy a new vehicle was simply rotten timing. I supposed I could live with that... after all, I was riding my bike in the middle of the work day. Nothing could stress me out.

After one hour and nine minutes and forty-nine seconds, I stopped in front of our garage. 17.1 miles. The longest ride this year... a real joy and a real accomplishment, considering last year at this time, I was in the middle of physical therapy, and was seriously wondering if I would ever ride my bike again - let alone ride more than 5, 10, or 15 miles!

Cooler, too, is that it gives me hope for next year... something to train towards... do I have long rides in my future after not doing long rides over the last two years?

As I sat down on our patio furniture, finishing my fluids, I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. Although it wasn't even after lunchtime, this had been the best work day ever... this year... so far...