The Break Up
Looking back on the past couple of years, I knew this was post was inevitable. Though we often appreciated each other, I often felt we were together out of mere convenience than true desire. It's been five years and I guess that's a long time for any couple to be together. We just grew apart. I suspect we'll remain good friends and I still admire her every time I pull my car into the garage.
I'm talking about cycling of course and for whatever reason, the fire just didn't return this year. I've put about a hundred miles on the trainer (41 on Superbowl Sunday) and maybe two rides outside. Rather than being fun, it was a chore. I dreaded weather forecasts of warmer temps rather than daydreaming about them.
Instead, I've found a new lover. Hiking. The more difficult the better but I'll take easy ones with great views too. I finally got some decent hiking boots (courtesy of the annual REI member dividend) and my winter conditioning hikes up Mt. Si have paid off.
Though I haven't had much time to blog about my experiences, I have taken some pics and posted them on Flickr:
March 13th, 2006 - 22:04
Poor Amy. the first paragraph made it sound like you broke up with her. How dare you joke! :>)
Poor biking too. Your niece will be upset she has been practicing her bike riding skills just so that she may ride with you one day. She is quite fast on the bike you know. I have to run to keep up with her on it. We are just working on distance with her. She will soon be there!
Love
Kell
March 14th, 2006 - 05:59
Now you’ve got to take up geocaching! It’ll take you on hikes to places you didn’t know existed! And you can do it on a lunch break, an evening, or try to get in a dozen on a weekend day.
March 14th, 2006 - 09:19
Ok, Michael – you had me this time!! For the first couple of sentences I’m thinking “What am I gonna say to them, I did not want it to come to this!!?” Then the sentence about pulling into the garage got me to realize where this was (hopefully) really leading!! So glad that IS where it went!
Nance
March 14th, 2006 - 20:57
Hilary: I’ve been thinking about Geocaching but need to get my hands on a good GPS unit. Currently salivating over the Garmin 60CSx http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60csx/. Hiking will probably also lead me to your sport, climbing.
March 14th, 2006 - 20:58
Nance: Gotta keep my readers glued as long as possible and it appears to worked, at least for this post! :)
March 15th, 2006 - 10:05
You totally don’t need to overdo it on the GPS receiver. I have the Garmin Venture (or something like that), and it has done me quite well. You don’t really want to navigate a car with the device that you want to take out into the woods, anyway. If you want something for the car, get something else. Something sturdy (mine is edged in rubber), easily holdable in one hand, droppable, etc., is what you want for this sport. The eTrex line from Garmin is quite good enough. Amazon’s selling the Garmin eTrex Legend for about $125. It will download some maps as well as lots of caches, which is all you need.
If you ever get to Dayton and want to climb, let me know. Hiking doesn’t necessarily lead to climbing. For some, it’s the reverse – you have to hike up the approaches to the outdoor climbing walls! I’m usually huffing and puffing at that point…
March 15th, 2006 - 16:22
Yeah, the 60CXs isn’t really designed for cars (already have on of those anyway) but I’m a gadget geek and have read that the this Garmin unit holds it’s position better than anything else (though just as good as the top end Magellan Explorist 600). I plan on doing a lot of “off-trail” hiking and would like the piece of mind
I agree that hiking doesn’t necessarily lead to climbing but I catch myself staring at granite cliffs thinking about how to get from A to B :) And I just like taking risks…
April 13th, 2006 - 10:31
Mike, did you make this decision to quit cycling before or after you saw the film, “40-year-old virgin”?
http://www.cicle.org/wordpress/?p=31
…and what about that action figure collection of yours?