existentialghost

I get a kind of fetishistic pleasure out of pulling on my black cordura body armour to go mountain biking, especially when it's at night - it makes me feel like a superhero going out in costume into the darkness to do heroic things. And to strap just about everything I could need onto my back: 2.5 L of water, enough tools to eviscerate and rebuild my bike, extra clothing, fig bars, bananas, spare tube, sports walkman with an extra CD (one CD out to the woods, one CD for the trip back, which is 40-50 minutes at about 25 km/hour), a little cash for emergency energy food at one of the gas stations on the way back if I'm about to bonk - like tonight.

Tonight I overdid it a little - was chasing two guys I probably had 10 years on who rode like the wind on beautiful duelies - I should have pulled off the trail and headed home a little sooner, but I made it thanks to an emergency Red Bull chug-a-lug at the Chevron by the highway. 'Course, with 80 mg of caffeine, it probably cost me a good night's sleep.

I used to ride several times a week, back when I was working as a waiter when I was 24, and then I was in steller shape - made of liquid steel, with seemingly endless stamina. I liked riding so much I got a job as a bike messenger, even though it paid much less than waitering. But after about 3 years of that I started to burn out and all but quit off-roading for two years. Then I got the more sedentary job I do now and have been trying for over a year to get back into it, but always running out of steam after a couple weeks of progress. But this comback has been the most successful yet. I've ridden seven times in the last three weeks or so and I'm feeling stronger and getting faster with every ride.