Lighter

I haven't posted anything in over three months. While I am pretty sure the Internet didn't miss me, the fact that I feel like posting something again is significant, at least to me.

I have been in a pretty dark place for a while. Without really realizing it, I let sadness creep in and it stayed. Sadness became a habit. I had simply forgotten what it was like to be happy.

I rode my bike during this time, but not with any joy. I'd go out for an hour, spin the pedals, and go home feeling pretty much the same.

Then a funny thing happened: I sold my Niner to my friend Javier.

This isn't really anything new; I sell a lot of bikes. However, I rarely sell them to friends. After all, I am typically trying to maximize returns so I can buy something new.

I took him out for a ride to get acquainted with his new bike, and our friend Preston joined us on his older GT. I had a good time and Javi's enthusiasm was fun to see.



Within a few days Preston had purchased a new Felt 29er. Then another work friend Johnathon bought a new Felt himself. Suddenly there were three new mountain bikers at work, which is very cool. They are stoked to enter into the cycling world, my world, one which I had taken for granted. Thanks, guys, for reminding me how cool it is.

Today, with a renewed energy, I decided to go beyond my typical neighborhood rides and bite off a big piece of hurt.

I rode for over three hours on mixed terrain with lots of climbing. The ride was quite a bit tougher than anything I had done in months. It hurt towards the end, but it felt good to suffer a little.

I don't feel like writing much more, so here is a chronological picture dump of the ride.

Later.