FireBelly

 It's starting. The fire in the belly. I signed up for the Elephant Rock century ride and two weeks into training has taken me places... 

Ouch places when I first got on my bike, my old reliable Burley Pine Grove. No longer made, it's vintage and catches the eye of every bike dealer who I let work on it: "Oh, they only make bike trailers now." Sexy. 

Anyhow, the ouch was between my shoulder blades. Excruciating after 20 miles in the saddle and the pain staying for 2 days. So, I started looking for a bike fit and a new bike. My local guy took one look at me on my bike (outside of the shop for COVID safety) and suggested two tweaks. Some hundreds of dollars later as there were other issues, I had a new-looking bike on my hands - and much reduced shoulder pain! Miracle worker.

Ouch places... riding with my sister and our other friend who are in much better biking shape than I am. I have to qualify this. I am not coming from the couch, but I am coming from the mountains in 2020. I climbed a record 25 last year. Woot! 

Buuuut, that is a different kind of conditioning than saddle time. So, ouch. On the hills they killed me especially hard. I am not clipped in because of my chronic knee issues, but after years of religious PT (and HATING to suck wind behind those two other old bags), I might be ready to try my clips again. Which means back to the bike shop for me. My other ones are so old, I have to believe there are looser-riding, easier-unclipping ones in the world.

And finally, ahhhh places... places where I'm on my bike and I feel fast. Not one with the bike, not that yet, but I remember that I used to have that feeling. I get glimpses of it and know I'll get stronger and feel faster.

Places like last night, rolling up and down the hills around the countryside, reveling in new roads to ride. 

This morning... waking up and wanting to ride. Ready to ride. Ready to do this thing. I have a good case of fire in my belly.