slow-n-steady

Date: May 30 Fri
Mileage: 32 (Bleriot)
May mileage: ??
Year to date: 578

I surely didn't set any speed records today, but I inched up and over the 2 hour mark on today's slow and flat road ride on the Bleriot. My route took me through Seneca, down the Beargrass Creek Trail, along the river through Portland and back home via the Riverwalk and through the Highlands. I felt slow, went slow and am perfectly satisfied. My avg speed was around 13mph, but that is a speed including lots of stop signs and lights. After about 30min my ass acclimated to the seat- seat time is well-earned, right?, and I resigned myself to having no real legs. Instead I just poked along. Now that I'm home, I have not one single insight nor observation of the ride other than the fact that I actually rode. I am/was pretty shocked to find that today's 32-miler is my longest ride of '08. I had a commuting week with 2 30s the first week of January, but nothing longer until today. Strange.

Beargrass Creek Trail in summer foliage.

Blue ped/bike sign. These are cropping up in more spots. Maybe more dedicated paths will crop up with them.

Shawnee Park meadow. 50 years ago this would've been covered with baseball diamonds in the "hey day" of Shawnee. It's pretty sparse these days.

Gratuitous Bleirot pic. Please note the fender dent. I sort of like it. Would I/Grant call it "beausage"?

I did spend my ride today listening to various NPR podcasts. I find today's kind of ride- no partner, low traffic, low scenic appeal- to be a nice time to catch up. I took in 2 episodes of 'Studio 360', one which included discussion of the new super collider in Switzerland.
Another interviewed an architect who gained inspiration from the lawlessness of punk rock, thusly helping him buck "the man" paradigm of corporate architecture. Unimportant but interesting. I finished listening to our local NPR gardening show, Homegrown, a personal fav. Homegrown dealt extensively with the growth, no, the figurative explosion of farmers' markets. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I'll be trying to buy some locavore fair. I'll be taking the bike too, of course.

And lastly:

5 Precepts

Do not take another life

Do not take what is not given

Do not consume intoxicants

Do not use harmful speech

Do not commit sexual misconduct.

I find it helps, even a little.