Back in the Saddle

After not being able to ride for almost 8 months, I have been on two amazing rides. I honestly wondered if I would ever be able to long rides or difficult climbs again. Maybe that thinking was a little dramatic, but when you have Mono you feel like you'll be tired, achy, energyless, and not be able to think clearly forever. My first real ride back, aside from barely making it through Portola Loop the Saturday before, was: Portola Loop, up Old la Honda, south on Skyline, down Page Mill, and back to the EPA. To be honest I didn't know if I would make it. I ran out of water and was exhausted. But I finished! A 3 hour ride without relapsing to mono (well I didn't relapse until about 4 days later, but that's beside the point). Second ride: Portola Loop, Old la Honda again, and down the 84 through Woodside. It was that familiar exhilarating feeling of being in nature, on a bike. That combination will inevitably always make me feel alive, return me to hope, and immerse me in gratitude. Marin County Century, here I come. No promises on speed. I just want to finish.