Finally, a Ride....

I spent this last week taking care of my sick baby and my sick self.  I've been trying to eat well, get plenty of rest, and take a lot of vitamins.  I could go to the doc, but being self employed I have no insurance, so sticking it out feels like the best option when I can.  My son on the other hand, made a trip to his doctor with me.  Turns out he had a slight infection in one ear, and the croup in his lungs.  Poor baby!  The doc prescribed steroids and antibiotics, and mom prescribed a tent in the living room.  He was feeling better almost instantaneously.  

Saturday was the first day that I was really feeling better, and it rained all day, so I couldn't ride.  Sunday the trails would have been too wet, and I didn't feel up to hitting the pavement.  So, tonight I headed out to some nearby trails with a friend.  I've read reviews about these trails, but this is the first time I have ever checked them out for myself.  There is a trail amongst them called Rim Job.  

I'm riding on some double track with my friend when we come to an intersection and stop to navigate our course.  I see an older man riding out of a trail and I ask him, "Is that the Rim Job?"  He says yes, and that he doesn't advise riding on it when it's wet.  Then he tells my friend to "Get a helmet young man," and rides off.  I give my friend one of those "I told you so" looks, and laugh because I had told him this might happen if he rode without one and we saw other people on the trails.

He walks his bike up to me and I say, "Did you catch that awkward moment after I asked him a question I hadn't really thought through before I opened my mouth?"  That has got to be one of the funniest questions I have ever asked anyone before today.  Excuse me sir, but have you been riding the Rim Job?  Could you tell me what the conditions are like today please?  Perhaps my friend didn't catch it, but I caught the awkward pause after I asked the question.  It appeared and disappeared quickly, but I felt it between the old man and myself.  It was all I could do not to laugh out loud, but I wasn't about to be rude....not in his presence anyways.  Boy, it sounds awful when I say it like that.

Well, my friend is seasoned in the art of bike riding, but it's been years since he has really ridden.  He just picked a bike up this week from Craigslist.  He was as anxious to get out as I was.  He warned me that he might be eating my dust, but I assured him I'm still a novice.  Novice that I am, I guess I have built up some endurance for the off-road, because we made quite a few more stops than I am accustomed to making.  No matter though, it's nice to ride with company on the trails some days.  I laughed when he started sputtering and said he thought he had eaten some dirt.  I guess he did end up eating my dirt after all.  Once I rounded a corner and my pedal clipped a tree on a turn and left me spilling over onto the trail in a fit of laughter.  Most of the falls I have on the trails seem to be silly accidents that speak loudly of my lack of coordination.  

I'm going to try to find a way to ride again tomorrow, but then I may be waiting until the weekend before I get to ride off road again.  That may depend a great deal on what kind of week I have and whether or not I need to fit in another ride to burn off some steam. It's only Monday, so it's hard to tell just yet....