Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5am and Arthur wasn't happy. His reasons were as follows: 1. the alarm usually goes off at 6am so he should still have an hour to sleep. 2. It was Saturday and therefore he should get to sleep in later than usual. At this point I think he started mumbling things about his wife under his breath. We had to get up so we could drive to Newton since we had signed up again for the MCC Flatlander. For some reason all physical activity that requires him to get out of bed on a weekend is his wife's fault, especially with the foggy mental processing that the 5am hour brings. As his wife I will admit that usually it is my idea to do activities that require an early start. However this year Arthur even made sure his weekend plans allowed this weekend to be open so he could ride his bike. Spirits probably weren't increased as he then had to go out in the dark morning and try to put the bike rack and bikes on the back of the car. I know that from past experience Arthur's cloudy disposition clears up once the sun comes up or when he gets started with whatever crazy athletic event I "signed" him up for. Actually the time I have seen Arthur in best spirits was when he had to wake up at 5am so he could drive me and my brother to the drop off point for a half marathon. He was chipper that at least he wasn't running so getting up early wasn't too bad. On Saturday we picked up my cousin Eleanor and her bike (since our anniversary present to each other this year was a bike rack that can carry 3 bikes). My aunt asked if Arthur wanted anything for breakfast, or more so 2nd breakfast since he ate Cheerios at home. She whipped him up some peanut butter and toast with a few sausage patties and he was a completely different man, almost excited to get to ride his bike. Thanks Aunt Shari.
The MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) Flatlander is a bike ride that raises money for water projects in 3rd world countries. This year the donations were going towards a farming community in Tanzania for clean drinking water as well as crop irrigation. Last year we did the 65 mile route and I think it was one of the toughest things I have ever done. I wasn't too excited for that so I decided to invite a few friends who do some biking but have never participated in an organized ride to join me on the 35 mile loop. Arthur, being a manly man, opted for the 65 miler again. All week it had been terribly hot and windy so I had been concerned that the conditions for the ride might be miserable. However Saturday was absolutely perfect. No noticeable wind which correlates to a moderate breeze on a bike and much cooler temperatures. The ride started with over a hundred riders so we quickly lost Arthur in the sea of spandex and bright neon green. Our group of gals held up the back of the pack pretty well. Hillary and I used to ride about 20 miles together one day each summer. Eleanor has just recently taken up biking since an injury has kept her from running which is truly her first love. Rachel purchased a bike a few years ago and cruises around her city's bike paths on occasion. We made it through the first 8 miles to the SAG stop well and climbed over the only "hills" on the ride which was an overpass by the interstate. I must admit that riding with this group was rather refreshing. We chatted as we rode discussing work, lives, the scenery, etc. We even stopped a few times to stretch our legs in between official SAG stops. At the SAGs we weren't in any hurry to get back on the road but enjoyed the cookies and made small talk with the volunteers. It was considerably laid back compared to riding with Arthur.
Meanwhile Arthur was pedal to the metal flying down the back country roads. I was a little concerned about him doing the 65 miles by himself since Arthur has some issues with navigation. Since being married I don't remember a time when he's gone off on an adventure to an unfamiliar area such as hiking trails or a bike ride without me. He tends to be very focused on what he is doing and I was afraid he wasn't going to notice the little signs on the ground the size of a pizza box at each turn. He texted me at his stops to let me know where he was but never any details beyond "@4" or "SAG 5". I found out later that he did enjoy biking by himself since he didn't have to keep checking on if I was able to stay up with him or not. I also learned that at about mile 40 he started developing some knee pain with every downward stroke of the pedal. That makes for a long last 25 miles.
My group remained in good spirits throughout the ride. There was the usual "biker's butt" complaints but other than that everyone did great. The wind was slightly from the north so we had a pep talk before heading 10 miles into the wind that this was the point where the rubber hits the road. However, that was probably my favorite stretch of the ride. There was less traffic so we could ride two across which made it easier to talk. We had great conversation. Also Hillary decided we needed to do a selfie so while riding a bike she grabs her phone out of her bag and takes several great shots.
We had a wonderful time but were glad that none of the more serious bikers were around. With about 3-4 miles to go more people were mentioning that they would not be disappointed to get off the bike sooner than later. We finished the 35 miles all in one piece and I think everyone was excited to say that it was a new personal record since they had never biked over 20 miles before. We grabbed some lunch and talked about other adventures, vacations, or get-togethers we want to have. This seems to be a common topic with us, however the consensus was the next activity should involve staying inside and eating. After lunch we headed down the block to a coffee shop to hang out until Arthur finished his ride. We indulged in cinnamon rolls and the first bites were followed with a series of delighted moans. I maybe felt a little bit bad that my husband was somewhere on an uncomfortable bike seat with excruciating knee pain while I was licking the frosting off a cinnamon roll. We remarked that biking does go well with eating-- a hand full of cookies at each SAG stop with some fruit, lunch after the ride, and the cinnamon rolls to celebrate-- not too bad. Finally Arthur texted that he had finished so we headed back. Rachel and Hillary then headed off and we loaded up the bikes after Arthur ate lunch to head home. Even with his knee bothering him Arthur reported that he had a wonderful time and was glad that I "made him get out of bed" to ride his bike. He enjoyed the quiet personal time, pushing himself to the limits, and zen-like state of being able to focus his mind and body on his task. I had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful countryside since fall is one of my favorite times to bike, sharing a new experience with friends, going at a comfortable pace without my legs cramping or burning, and having wonderful fellowship while tooling around on a bike. It is interesting that we enjoyed the "same thing" for very different reason and had different experiences. I love that in our marriage we have a great time doing things together- hiking, walking, biking, traveling. However this was a great opportunity where we did our own thing and had a better time than if we had been together. Omni Vincit Amor.
No comments:
Post a Comment