Keefer Madness

Good to Be Back in the Saddle

// December 11th, 2009 // Cycling, Local (Raleigh Durham), Personal Crap

So Amanda had a great revelation recently — with Tyler keeping us busy day and night and the fact that we’re in the middle of the short daylight hours of winter, she suggested I take to the road on my bikes at lunch at work. Today, I did just that and it felt good and refreshing. The cold, just above freezing temperatures were no match for my layers of cycling gear.

Since Ty’s birth, I’ve only been on a couple road and mountain rides each, and it’s exciting to have a workable solution to get back into a regular riding routine. I didn’t get a ton of miles in, but was able to criss-cross through a bunch of Raleigh roads, exploring a bit.

I even got a refreshing encounter with a driver. Returning to work, as I was at a stop light with Cameron Village on my left, a woman in a Toyota truck rolled down her window and yelled to me. I dreaded what she was about to say or complain about, but instead I got a compliment. She had been behind me as I went up a fairly steep ascent. She said I was doing over 20 miles per hour rising up the hill approaching Cameron Village and thought it was really impressive. As did I, seeing as I’ve become mighty out of shape in my sedentary days post-birth of our little boy.

But hopefully, that’s started to shift starting today. The riding put me in an automatic better mood. The workout, fresh air and speed was refreshing and I feel better about myself after an outdoor workout. I look forward to making this a healthy habit whenever the weather and work schedule allow. I also look forward to criss-crossing the Raleigh area and exploring new roads. Now I just need to get a bike rack installed on our new Subaru Impreza to make transporting my bikes back and forth quick and easier.

Ulanguzi Lunch Route #1