Some Mornings are Like This

When the alarm rang at 4:30 am, I had absolutely no desire to get up and ride.  I did something highly unusual.  I hit the snooze button.

Then, the countdown began.  Nine minutes additional rest.  Except the first few minutes were spent debating whether or not I should get up and ride anyway.  I willed myself back to sleep.  As I drifted off, the lingering question in my head was, “Why 9 minutes?”

Of course, the alarm rang before I was ready, but if I hit the snooze alarm again, it would make me later than usual.  I got up, got ready, and was out the door just a little after 5 am.

It was very dark.  I didn’t see the nearly full moon as I expected.  There was a lot of pollen in the air.  Temperatures were pleasant at about 58° F, just warm enough to go with bare arms and just cool enough to wonder if I made the right decision.  I noted right away that I forgot my cycling glasses and its attached mirror.  I missed the mirror the whole ride.

I rode the B&A loop, crossed Ritchie Hwy on a very mature yellow light and rode up the trail.  I looped around to Jumper’s Hole Road via Earleigh Heights Extension, then rode back down the trail to the Rusty Bridge.  I noted that the sunrise was not what I had hoped for this morning.  There was the briefest period of pink in the sky, and when I looked again, all was grey.  At the Rusty Bridge, I adjusted the barrel adjustment for the rear derailleur (shifting isn’t as smooth as I would like) and then noted that there was a very light mist in the air.  It was lighter than fog, invisible even looking into the distance.  Road surfaces seemed dry.  As we rode along this morning, that mist gradually thickened.  By the time we reached the end of Old County Road, I noticed a few drops of water collecting on the brim of my helmet, dripping occasionally onto my nose or onto my head.  I had not expected this moisture.

The ride was enjoyable enough.  There was good conversation, some bursts of speed, and no incidents to report.  No incidents until near the end of the ride when suddenly there was a noise coming from my rear tire.  It sounded like I ran over something that stuck to the tire.  The noise disappeared.  Everything seemed fine.  Then, about 100 yards later, I noted that my rear tire was going flat.  We all stopped and I changed the tube.  A large hole was found in the tube, but no sharpie in the tire itself.  Flat repaired and off we went in no time.

When I arrived home, I was almost as damp as I would have been had it been a light rain.  But I had 26+ miles in the bank and the endorphins were flowing well.  All was right with the world.

Bible Verses of the Day:

The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. (Exodus 18:13 NRSV)

But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. (Acts 12:24 NRSV)