Small test ride turns into marathon…

I thought I would check my running distance using my bike odometer today. I want to increase my weekly running distance by 10% so I wanted to know where that was. My plan was to hop on my bike and take a brief ride for 3.71 kilometers one way then I would come back and run it. SO while I did mark the distance I thought I would just go a little further. I decided to just go a little farther and loop back. By the time I got to the main highway, I thought, maybe I’ll just go to the bridge and then turn home. By the time I got to the bridge I thought it would be insane NOT to cross it so I did. By that time I was in Devon and I thought I would pick up some milk at the store. But first I would just go to the end of the trails and then pick up the milk on the way home. Then when I got to the river valley I thought I may as well go down that steep hill to the river valley campgrounds or else all my previous efforts would be wasted. So I did. Then I rode back up into town, got the milk and rode home.

My little test ride of 6 kilometers turned out to be 44 kilometers and three huge hills. My average speed was 18.68 kph, my total ride time was 2:23:07 and my maximum speed coasting down the hills was 55 kph.

It is interesting what one can get used to. I dislike traveling across that bridge because of the traffic but I tolerate it. It takes a lot of focus to ignore the roaring traffic noise, fumes and wind. Time seems to slow down as I glance to my left and see a huge trailer truck going over 100 kph downhill pass me not 3 feet from my left elbow. I am almost detached from my body as I contemplate the huge thing that could kill me with just one moment’s inattention on my part. But that is not what worries me the most. I am mostly worried about unsecured junk falling off the vehicles as they jump over bridge bumps, especially trailers. I see enough debris on the road to worry about it. I guess I could just not go there, but then if I decide to avoid that I may as well just stop living and go back to being a couch potato. The risk versus gain issue is complicated and I certainly don’t have the answers.

So that’s how my small test ride turned into a long one.