Little Dolce, It's Been A Long, Cold Lonely Winter...

I have been following all of you on your exploits these past months. I feel like you're a bunch of long distance friends. I've been here, harmlessly lurking in the shadows cheering you all on. Some of you have moved, some of you have had loved ones move away, some of you just kept plugging away, and some of you won bikes and are able to ride without hands for .5 seconds.

Five months off the bike for me. I never want to do that ever again.

Long story short, during the winter there were a few changes here. I quit the 2nd job, I discovered the joys of freshwater fishing and I also discovered my genius of a doctor is an idiot. Other than that, it's been somewhat uneventful.

The Reader's Digest version of the medical issue was my doc put me on some meds. Before that, he asked me what I like to do in my spare time. I told him I like to fish, hike and ride my bike. He said ok, that's nice. After about 3 months I realized that the things I used to love doing, I no longer cared about doing at all. I went to work and came home. The Dolce sat in my living room on the trainer collecting dust. One day it got warmer out so I went fishing. I felt a little queazy. Then one day I went for a walk. I got queazy. About 2 weeks ago it got really unseasonably warm and I went fishing and just about passed out. I checked out some stuff online and it looks like I'm not supposed to be outside in the sun with these meds and they can cause lethargy.

Now, I may not be the brightest candle on the menorah but down here at the Jersey shore, where we are surrounded by water, fishing generally occurs outside in the sun. I've noticed that hiking in the beautiful protected Pinelands also coincidentally occurs outside, and often in the sun. The bike usually does too but yes, I have a trainer that I never used.

With that said, I have weaned myself off the meds but I am now in the worst shape I have ever been in my life. I'm sure it'll be a while until they are out of my system completely so I'm just hoping it doesn't get too warm too fast, like it is today, because the heat is killing me.

I decided to take a personal day today. I had yard work to do, some stuff around the house, maybe a little fishing and yeah, how about that bike? I asked myself this morning, if you only have the energy to do ONE thing today, what would it be? Or better yet, what SHOULD it be?

So I changed out the rear skewer, took off the clipless pedals and put the toestrap pedals back on so I wouldn't crash, pumped up the tires, dusted off the bike and out the door I went.

To be totally honest, I was amazed that I felt pretty darned good on the bike for the first few miles. I was also amazed that this bike was never custom made for me because it sure feels like it was. I wasn't breaking any land speed records but I was ON the bike and felt alive again. I decided to go for it and try for a 10 miler.

At about 5 miles, the sun was getting hot and I started not feeling so great. I sat under a tree in a local park and heard quite a commotion above.

It appears the crows were telling each other that roadkill might be right under their noses.

Duly motivated now, I got back on the bike and kept on going and when I got home, I felt the usual queaziness but it passed pretty quickly. It was shortly replaced by YES! I'm back on the bike again.

Here's to many more miles this year for me on a most awesome bike.