I Guess I'm Getting Lazy
I haven't done much bicycling, lately. For most of the summer, I was nursing the Achilles Tendon on my right leg, and didn't ride at all.
Now, I am riding again, but I am only riding back and forth to work. And, I am only doing that when the weather is bad.
Having broken my consecutive-days streak at 838, I find myself unmotivated to ride when the weather is nice. I jump on the motorbike, and putt back and forth. The advantage to that is that I get home a little less tired and sweaty, and I have more time and energy for some of my other pastimes (music, in particular).
But, the lazy thing is that I don't even get on the bike, for fun, on the weekends. Though, I have to admit, that a great part of the reason for that is that I don't have anybody to ride with, generally. Most of my old gang, with whom I rode constantly, 10 years ago, have moved on in life and don't have as much time for riding.
Babies have been born, other babies have gotten old enough that they have a lot of activities that need to be attended, health issues have cropped up (such as my tendonitis, as well as other things for other people)...We just aren't as young and active as we used to be.
I don't have the kid situation affecting me, and my health is good enough to allow a lot more riding than I have been doing, lately. But, I just don't enjoy riding alone as much as I used to. I actually blame that on the long-term daily commuting.
An hour and a half a day, every work day, for four years was plenty of solitary riding to suit me.
Maybe I need to join a club, or form a club, or club myself over the head with a seat post until I feel the need to ride alone. I don't know.
I really have a desire to go mountain biking since I didn't get to do much, this summer. But, a lot of the trails in the mountains are already snowed in. And, again, I have no desire to go out by myself.
Boo hoo for Jon.
I was going to upload some pictures from last week's snowy commute, but the computer doesn't seem to like the files.
Oh, well...
x
posted by Jon @ 1:51 PM
7 Comments:
Most of my rides are alone. Sometimes that is perfect, but I really miss having a routine riding buddy. I had one 4 years ago. We were well-matched and helped one another improve our fitness and riding skills dramatically. Since work demands so much of my time, I still crave my rides. But bikes are actually more fun with people sometimes.
I know the feeling. Fortunately, there are enough old farts my age around here who feel the same way who get together occasionally to ride. It definitely helps.
So, 838 is the "Cal Grinder" number, eh? I fear that is a record I shall never break, but it still inspires!
Yeah, I know down here they have some Austin Cycling Association rides or something...but of course those are just a bunch of different road rides...
I've bike commuted on and off around greater LA for eight years. When it was 12-16 miles one way, I enjoyed it two or three times a week. When it was 15 minutes to the subway, I did it daily. But I never felt obligated - no offense but that feels artificial to me.
Frequently I find myself a pragmatist surrounded by absolutists. Enough that I occasionally wonder why I can't be a better absolutist. But really, you should embrace an occasional dose of pragmatism. From what you wrote, you clearly need a change of pace to recharge.
That said, I had a great snow commute in Denver a couple weeks ago...
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It's a bummer, but I've been feeling the same way lately. Part of it is just that school is taking up all of my time an energy, but like you, I'm enjoying spending some quality time on other hobbies that have fallen by the wayside the last few years.
Sometimes I feel guilty for not wanting to ride, but that's kind of silly, really. I say: do what feels right!
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