First Ride of the Season

I'm back, baby!   - Bender, Futurama

After six months out of the saddle I finally got a chance to ride outdoors again. Monday was a gloriously warm early spring day. The sun was shining, the temperature topped 60 degrees, and I got out on the road for a 10 mile ride. Ten miles doesn't sound like much, but after crashing in September and breaking four ribs, then spending the better part of the fall and winter recuperating, ten miles was about all I could handle. I figured out that the six months off my bike was the longest I ever haven't ridden since I learned how to ride a bike. My fitness level is shot. It's going to be a long climb (pun intended) to get back in shape, but I'm really looking forward to the work. After I did my little ride down the White Pine Trail I felt great. My legs were a bit tired and I was perspiring more than I should have been on a flat, slow-ish ride, but I still felt great. Just being outdoors on my bike was fantastic. I'm very excited to start riding more often and getting ready for our October JDRF ride in Death Valley.

Thanks very much to Coach Mike and Berger over at Third Coast Cycles for fixing my bike. It needed some serious work after the crash and the guys made my bike ride like it was new.