And It Was Raining…

Then It Was Raining

Sigh…. Then it was raining.

The sun was out. A break in the rain that looked better than they thought it would.

Now is the time! I can ride outside! Home I go, strip down, grab the riding clothes. Package of GU, water bottle full, helmet snapped on. Out the door!

It’s so easy to turn around right?

Dark clouds. Rain falling. Slick roads. You could try again tomorrow. Or maybe, though at this point doubtfully, you could put the bike on the trainer.

I hadn’t even left yet, not a single pedal stroke. And it’s raining. Where in the heck did the blue sky go?

It’s Not That Easy Though

You might think it’s an easy decision. Rain already falling, lean the bike back against the wall, put on the cozy clothes instead of the skin hugging riding gear, a movie and boom! Good call!

However, it’s not that easy. When your bike is your lifeline, while at times you may hunt for legitimate reasons not to ride. Reality for me is that I will always feel better after a ride.

Accomplished. Thinner. My body feeling the use of every muscle.

So I Rode

II left the house, knowing this would be a wet ride. While I was choosing what I was going to wear on the ride, the Pearl Izumi pants over the shorts. The long sleeve Bontrager shirt. Full finger gloves. At the time, I was thinking “Well, I might be over dressed here”.

Ends up I was dressed perfectly for a downpour of a ride. 1200 feet of climbing, most in the first 10 miles.

The downhills, slick, the rain pelting my face, the mist from my front wheel creating a smoke screen in front of me.

There’s something about 40MPH around corners on downhills in the rain though. Where normally I wouldn’t really be thinking about what I was doing, on this day, around these corners, I could feel the tires gripping through the rivers they were navigating. Knowing that if I leaned too fast banking into the turn I would lay the bike over and slide body down across the road into traffic.

It’s exhilarating. Knowing you are getting closer and closer to that line. Blurring safety with adrenaline. The latter always wins out. Always…

And There I Was

5 miles of this ride left to complete and it would be on the Farmington River Trail. Motivation to not get home but to pedal a bit harder here. Without concerns of traffic. A handful of walkers who were smart enough to have umbrellas. Two handful of runners. The expressions we would share as we passed each other that of pride. Knowing that we didn’t give up. We are out there pushing. Not for the miles, not for Strava KOM’s, but for ourselves. And inner strength while we grow, knowing that we get to choose our own adventures. Come rain or shine……