A Great Ride!

I finally had a chance to get out on my bike today after a 2-week hiatus, which is a long time for me.  The combination of work travel and illness has put a real damper on my fitness routine.  My commitment to cycling, running and generally staying in shape is important to me and its taken a back seat lately.  I’m an avid cyclist, it is by far my favorite hobby.  Last year I cycled in France during the Tour de France, an amazing experience I will never forget.  It was a gorgeous day today, 70 degrees and not a cloud to be found.

I did one of my favorite routes today – roughly 50 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain over several canyon climbs in the Santa Monica mountain range.  PCH, Topanga, Fernwood, Stunt, Piuma, Saddle Peak.  Being on my bike, alone and suffering, is where I have the largest blocks of time to think.  About work, life, whatever is occupying my energy at the time.  I really enjoy riding alone for this reason.

Today I took a different approach.  I’ve been pretty stressed and preoccupied lately so today I focused my energy on NOT thinking about all the things going on in life.  Rather, I focused on enjoying being outside, my rhythmic breathing, the scenery, getting to the top of the next climb – all the things I’ve been unable to think about over the past few weeks.

It was truly a breath of fresh air.