I feel this. Every once in a while I remove the bike rack from the car and go take a hike with my camera, sometimes in the same preserve where some MTB trails are. I saw carnivorous sundew plants, and helped a molting northern water snake to a safe spot off the trails to finish shedding its skin. I try to use my bike to help me get to places where I can slow down, but it's not the same. I want to be riding. So I have to leave the bike home.
I'll post about them in a week or two, I'm still catching up on my Blue Ridge Parkway road trip. I hit Rocky Knob MTB park and learned that I have a lot to learn :)
Good stuff. Liked this passage, in particular: "Who knows? Who cares? Somewhere between then and now and whatever lies ahead, I haven’t and won’t figure it out. In the meantime, I’ll celebrate the rest days, the ones when I am not mountain biking."
I agree there are rest days, and lately I've come to learn there are rest seasons, too. I'm finding myself in a season of rest from cycling in general. I long for long, hard days in the saddle, but short ones here and there will do for the time being. Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
However the "spirit" moves us, Dillon. Maybe we're getting "better" at "feeling" it?!?!?!?! The slowing down and "taking in" the trees, water, buzzes, and chirps has been quite refreshing. And, yes, loooooooong days in the saddle are still needed!
I feel this. Every once in a while I remove the bike rack from the car and go take a hike with my camera, sometimes in the same preserve where some MTB trails are. I saw carnivorous sundew plants, and helped a molting northern water snake to a safe spot off the trails to finish shedding its skin. I try to use my bike to help me get to places where I can slow down, but it's not the same. I want to be riding. So I have to leave the bike home.
Oh, man, I've never seen the sundews! Agreed, it's not quite the same. Cheers, Thomas!
I'll post about them in a week or two, I'm still catching up on my Blue Ridge Parkway road trip. I hit Rocky Knob MTB park and learned that I have a lot to learn :)
Good stuff. Liked this passage, in particular: "Who knows? Who cares? Somewhere between then and now and whatever lies ahead, I haven’t and won’t figure it out. In the meantime, I’ll celebrate the rest days, the ones when I am not mountain biking."
I agree there are rest days, and lately I've come to learn there are rest seasons, too. I'm finding myself in a season of rest from cycling in general. I long for long, hard days in the saddle, but short ones here and there will do for the time being. Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
However the "spirit" moves us, Dillon. Maybe we're getting "better" at "feeling" it?!?!?!?! The slowing down and "taking in" the trees, water, buzzes, and chirps has been quite refreshing. And, yes, loooooooong days in the saddle are still needed!