Hope

Yesterday was one of the warmest days of the year so far.  As I sat at my desk at work I notice a cycling buddy of mine heading for the door with a familiar grin on his face.  He stopped to talk to me before he left and rather than ask him where he was going I asked him where he was going to ride.  He told me he was headed up to Bellingham to mountain bike some of his favorite trails.  He also mentioned that he had been watching the weather forecasts all week and planning out just the right time when his favorite trail would be dry enough to ride.  That’s an all too familiar tradition for cyclists around here.  I too had been watching the weather forecasts all week trying to decipher a good riding window.  Yesterday afternoon was the window that we had all been waiting for.  I followed my buddy’s example and also headed for the door.

The temperature yesterday was in the low 60s so I was able to wear my favorite camouflage shorts over my cycling shorts for the first time this year.  Yep, no rain pants for me.  It felt sooooo good to be riding in shorts again.  Although, my legs don’t have the cyclist tan yet they were in heaven.  My calf even got christened with the first chain marking of the year.  I’m not quite sure why I can’t seem to avoid that but yesterday I just didn’t care.  

The local bugs must have been following the weather forecasts too because they were out in droves.  At times it felt like I was being shot by bugs in the face.  Wearing sunglasses on days like this provide protection for your eyes in more ways than one.  A couple even flew into my ear which is quite the weird sensation to say the least.  

I’m currently staring out the window watching it rain again but I have hope that there will be a lot more day like yesterday in the near future.  I have cycling hope!

Ride Stats

Mileage = 31.5 

Elevation Gain = 1154 ft.

Smiles on my face = Countless