The Pride Ride…
I came into a place mute of all light,
Which bellows as the sea does in a tempest,
If by opposing winds ‘t is combated.
The infernal hurricane that never rests
Hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine;
Whirling them round, and smiting, it molests them.
There are the shrieks, the plaints, and the laments,
There they blaspheme the puissance divine.
Dante’s Inferno, taken from Canto V
Ok, it wasn’t quite that bad. The ride itself was actually pretty enjoyable. A couple of the hills almost killed me but the route was wonderful. The problem? Wind. Every time I turned a corner with desperate thoughts that the wind might finally be at my back, I found that indeed the misery I had previously endured was but a pleasurable foretaste of that before me….
I pulled off all 60 miles, helped raise some money for the Lion’s club, and spent a few hours with some great people (and one annoyingly miserable one… but that’s a different story!)
It was a great training ride since it almost equaled a typical day on Ragbrai, which is less than two months away!
All in all, if all things conspire to allow it, I hope to ride the “Pride” again a year from now.
Who’d have thought that little ol’ me, who has never been accused of being athletic, would end up enjoying biking so much?!
On an entirely unrelated note: Well wishes to all the men enjoying the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat this weekend. My the weather hold out, the sun shine and the jacuzzi be truly rejuvenating!
Grace and Peace,
`tim
One Response to “The Pride Ride…”
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May 19th, 2008 at 2:51 am
I didn’t try the hot tub, but the sauna was incredible. And the rain waited until evening to pass through. Quickly, even.