Day 8: Crankin'

Day 8 miles to/from work: 27.2
Total miles for S4S: 224.4 

Mounting Silver Beauty this morning, I felt cranky. Whiny. Whaaaa. It was another perfect, mid-60s morning complete with blue sky and a light breeze. My attitude was, "So what?"

Scott is out of town and last night called after 11:00, saying, "I didn't want to wake you; but when I saw you hadn't blogged yet, I knew you'd still be up." (How I love that man! He knows me, and he pays attention.) It was a couple hours later when I finally got to bed, and my time in the Land of Morpheus wasn't long enough. This morning I was paying the price with a tired body and pissy mind.

When I got just past the Alliant Energy Center, I knew I'd passed the S4S cumulative 200-mile mark and felt slightly gratified. Slightly. Then at the stop light on John Nolen Drive, waiting with other cyclists, I was chatting with a woman wearing a watermelon-motif helmet.

Something about that watermelon, enhanced by the pleasantness of the wearer, made the shift. Philosophical question: In the presence of a watermelon of any stripe, is it possible to be grumpy? Discuss amongst yourselves.

The rest of the ride went pleasantly and smoothly. I was still tired but simply didn't push—mentally clapped with Rosalie, experimented with doing abdominal crunches while pedaling (it works!), and said good morning to the "community" as I cranked. Good times.

Upon leaving work and loading my panniers, I noticed a bolt missing from my rack. No wonder it vibrated and made teeth-rattling noises with every bump. My first destination took me to the Walgreen's around the corner from my office to pick up a prescription. (A bike works just fine at the drive-thru.) I stopped at Williamson Bicycle Works (Willy Bikes to its friends) a few miles up the road and just off the bike path. The bike mechanic who greeted me examined the rack and missing bolt, fixed it, and had me out of there in under 5 minutes—refusing payment. (The video at the conclusion of this post is a tribute to this hero.) It made me want to buy a new bike from WB.

The last part of my ride home was as much a divine finale as this morning's start was profane (or at least laced with mild profanity). I felt energized, I felt like I'd

borrowed Lance Armstrong's legs (he wants them back), and I did crank. I flew. But not quite as high as the balloon that I watched for the last 4 miles of my bicycling-home journey. When I got off Silver Beauty, the "wouldn't you like to fly in my beautiful balloon" (anyone remember the 5th Dimension?) had landed about 100 yards away. Fantastic. Awesome. All in a day's ride.
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