"i really wish that bastard wouldn't beat on the window." i thought to myself as i rolled over to look at the clock and then at the silhouette of lyler sitting outside the window and knocking to be let in.
4:23. the alarm started screaming for a beat down. i abruptly jumped to my feet, stumbled to the other side of the room to turn it off, fumbled toward the door only to trip over the gallon jug of water we had been sipping on the night before. then out into the living room. i heard the cats gathering at the front door waiting to be let in for breakfast. they aren't the quietest creatures since they've learned to knock.
i opened the door to let them in and the rush of cold air hit me. it must have been in the low fifties. nice. i wandered around in the dark for a bit trying to gather my senses. it was quiet. mable began stirring in her crate so i let her out. she stretched, took some steps, stretched again, took a few more steps and then stretched for a third time before she actually began to go anywhere. then begins the half stretch half walk mode she uses to get to the back door.
once she was out and the cats were eating i turned on the light to the bike room, put on my shorts and a t-shirt and then began some stretches of my own. it felt nice. i filled up my water bottle and then let mable back inside.
"hmm, it's chilly outside. i wonder if i should put a jacket on?" i thought to myself. i found a nice thin argyle sweater i got for christmas last year but ruined before i got a chance to actually wear it out. i had draped it across our iron railings to dry and came back only to find a nice big rust colored stain horizontally across the stomach portion. i still haven't heard the end of it, but it was the perfect thing for this morning.
i checked the air in my tires and put my gloves and a cap on. next is socks and shoes. check for keys, wallet, phone. all present and accounted for.
i dig mable a bone out to keep her occupied while i'm away or she will just cry because i have left her home instead of taking her along. she loves her some bike rides, but only on the trails. i sneak into the room to give shea a kiss and say good bye. i hope to be done before she goes to work, but there is never a certain time we return so it is always questionable.
out the door and into the dark, cold morning world. 5:11.
it is colder than i expected. i'm not sure if it was the actual temperature or if it was the wind. i figured i better start making an effort to warm up. i sprint down government toward the light and it starts feeling better. no one is outside. through the light and toward downtown. still no signs of movement. two miles later i come rolling into town under the blinking traffic lights and find only the usual homeless guys wandering. they are harmless enough, we wave at each other. then i see some joggers. finally some cars and trucks lurking around. "i should get in some good miles before i meet brian" i think. so into fast mode, out to bayfront, back into downtown, up and down jefferson trying to keep a 22mph pace into the wind. back up jefferson, cut across to palafox and then back down, passed main street and then back around to government, all the way east and then back west to brian's loft. check the computer, an even ten miles. that's a good enough warm up.
i sit on the curb drinking some water and say hello to the guy who opens the restaurant below the loft. we comment on the beautiful morning. it's nice, still no sun. brian comes downstairs and we get to it. east on bayfront, up seventeenth, east on cervantes, then a quick cut through the heights. the sun is peeking out a bit now. out to the airport loop. and then around through the neighborhood and then on to the north side of the twelfth avenue hill.
the sun is totally out now, giving it's warm "good mornings" to everyone else that is out. it's nice. we cut south down the hill, i hit 34mph and then the uphill suddenly starts. the momentum keeps me going about two thirds of the way back up the other side of the hill. top of the hill, take a left into the northern portions of east hill. there are some pretty nice rolling hills through that neighborhood. we work our way through them and then cut down fourteenth to bayfront again, this time into morning traffic. it's not as heavy as it gets, but it's starting.
we take some side streets and soon we're back at the loft. some short conversation and we part ways. we'll see each other later at work. i check the clock and begin my sprint home. i try to maintain a 20mph pace for the last two miles back out to my house, but kids waiting for the bus and cars seem to interfere. no big deal.
i pull up into the yard and i see mable sitting with her head staring out the front door waiting for my return. inside i go. shea is almost ready for work and has made some coffee and saved some for me. thank you. mable is excited. we play for a minute, i drink a cup of coffee and relax a bit while shea finishes up. she departs and i'm in the shower and then off to work.
30 miles to start a beautifully cool friday morning.
i'm looking forward to the 50 miler on sunday. then i'm taking mable out to the trails to meander about.
shea, thank you for saving me some coffee. i love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment