Two Wheel Tuesday: No Excuses
All those extra cloudy, rainy days this winter left my legs far whiter than they have been in a long time. Two weeks ago the high desert sun burned them during the UCLA Road Race. There has been a sharp decline in miles ridden and corresponding fitness. I will be playing catch-up for some little while. Worse, though, is what the winter did to my enthusiasm; I didn't ride at all last week - I could see the time change coming in fast and, rather than go out for a last few dark nights, decided I could wait. Like no previous winter, that seemed to be my motto this time - I can wait.
Though there has been much discontent, this has not been my "winter of discontent," more precisely the winter of my wimping out. Think of all those excuses you shame your other riding buddies with when they use them - I think I used them all at some point over the past two or three months. "Its raining", "its cold", "its dark", "the dog wants to play", "sure it has stopped raining, but the trails are still wet", "sure it stopped raining but there will be too much debris in the road", "dinners ready, well I guess no riding tonight" (boy did I use that one a lot), "I've got this book to write", and of course the inevitable, "well, I will get out tomorrow."
Anyway, I presume you can understand my enthusiasm to get out to the first Two Wheel Tuesday following the time change. Nor was I the only one; beside the year-round regulars, a bunch of the old bunch came out as well - Ed was there, and Ross, and that other guy, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Bloody L'Elbow. Funny thing is, I don't recall seeing a single one of those last three on a bike. What, do they show up to a brewery for the beer?
Two Wheel Tuesday runs all year, but lets face it dirt riding in the dark is not for everyone, so it does not really hit its stride until, well, until now. Don't forget half the ride is the post-ride talk (with a pint of your favorite La Verne Brewing Company brew in hand) - things were just warming up when I made one of my patented abrupt departures, but, well there is always next week to catch up on the talk.
Though there has been much discontent, this has not been my "winter of discontent," more precisely the winter of my wimping out. Think of all those excuses you shame your other riding buddies with when they use them - I think I used them all at some point over the past two or three months. "Its raining", "its cold", "its dark", "the dog wants to play", "sure it has stopped raining, but the trails are still wet", "sure it stopped raining but there will be too much debris in the road", "dinners ready, well I guess no riding tonight" (boy did I use that one a lot), "I've got this book to write", and of course the inevitable, "well, I will get out tomorrow."
Anyway, I presume you can understand my enthusiasm to get out to the first Two Wheel Tuesday following the time change. Nor was I the only one; beside the year-round regulars, a bunch of the old bunch came out as well - Ed was there, and Ross, and that other guy, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Bloody L'Elbow. Funny thing is, I don't recall seeing a single one of those last three on a bike. What, do they show up to a brewery for the beer?
Two Wheel Tuesday runs all year, but lets face it dirt riding in the dark is not for everyone, so it does not really hit its stride until, well, until now. Don't forget half the ride is the post-ride talk (with a pint of your favorite La Verne Brewing Company brew in hand) - things were just warming up when I made one of my patented abrupt departures, but, well there is always next week to catch up on the talk.
first 2WT sunset of the year
a lot of mud, a little splatter
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