Enjoying the Upper View of the Embroidery of Life ..............................5/20/12

Arrowhead Marsh. The Bay to my right, development to my left, as I rode Friday.

        Good morning,

I'll bed down soon. But first, thank you for your encouragement regarding the progress I'm making with
my bike rides. I think of you guys as I roll on the roads. Thanks for cheering me on.
A Terrific Ride
       Yesterday, I set the goal of twenty-five miles, perhaps thirty. Thirty-one miles with energy to spare was the end result. Ya ay!  The entire ride was a lengthy meditation.  For two hours and forty minutes, I roamed along the bay without stopping.

       I took new routes that traced parts of the bay where I had never ventured.  Apprehensive, I was; I wasn't sure of my safety, the first part of my journey took me through an industrial portion of a dangerous city.  Initially, I cautiously passed picturesque views of the bay, my fears distracted me as I rolled by wetlands.  Nope, I wasn't worried about behemoths emerging from the waters. Hardly.

      This portion of my trip stirred up an odd assortment of feelings.  Heading south, to my left were barb-wired fences enclosing industrial portions of the gritty city.  On my right, serene vistas of wildlife and the tranquil waters of the bay.

       Isn't life like that?  When stressed, I can look at the top view of the embroidery of life, enjoying its pattern, or I can look at the knots and snarls of the under-side. The choice is mine. You know my choice.

       Two and a half miles from my home, upon leaving the island of Alameda, swollen jawed Pelicans soared.  Herons in staccato fashion pecked the shallow edges of the shore---looking for grub in the wetlands.  Egrets sunned themselves and Sand Pipers ignored me as I passed by them, less than ten feet away.  Nature offers far more beauty than anything I could watch on TV, if I had one.

       These rides are becoming a spiritual practice. My breath slows down (except for the occasional hill).  I feel primal. I feel rooted to the earth. My senses awake to the rushing of wind, the swaying of trees, the slapping of the waves against the rocks, as I roll along, on my way to continued bliss.

       I know what I'd do differently, next time I do a long ride.  I wasn't sure how my body was going to respond to the extra miles, so I was cautious. This morning, I didn't feel any aches.  It must be the decades of running.

       I took it steady. On a long ride, I knew the main focus was distance, not the rate I moved along the roads. For the entire ride I traveled each mile an average of five minutes and twenty seconds, 11.5 mph.

       At the twenty-one mile marker I was still revved up. I decided to ride for ten more miles. What was surprising was that I felt energetic and sped up to 19 mph in the last mile. That tells me I'll push it the last two miles, on my next long ride.

*****************************

     Saturday, after five p.m., I rode with a friend. We went for a seventeen mile excursion along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. I'm amazed my legs don't feel taxed.  My, was the weather a beaut.  73 degrees, a cool breeze, no humidity. We rode to the other side of a channel and viewed the six mile length of Alameda Island, the Bay Bridge, San Francisco and the SF peninsula as we rode our bikes along the Bay Farm portion of Alameda.

     I plan to meet with friends later this morning. I'll ride through three cities to get there.

     Thanks for letting me share.
My Gratitudes for Saturday: 
1. I love the freedom I feel when riding my bike, getting away from my normal routine. It reminds me of a story of a guy who visited a counselor.  The man was having problems at home, with the missus.
   "I recommend you run five miles a day. It will do you good," said the therapist.
    Five days later the formerly preoccupied man calls his shrink, overjoyed. "I feel so much better, you're right, the stress is now nonexistent," he reports.
   "How are things at home?" asks the professional.
   "I don't know, I'm fifty miles from home."
2. I'm thankful that I used common sense and stopped, 12 miles into today's ride. Even though I wasn't tired I was gentle towards this body. We returned to my house, which took 5 more miles. But, we took in the view at a park that overlooked Alameda Island and the City (SF).
3. My biking friend treated me to dinner. I didn't expect that. I was touched by her kindness. Thank you, Anne.
4. I love hearing from you. Thanks for your comments.
5. I received a letter from a new friend, someone I've met here.  I wrote back. I love community, connection and loving, open communication.
6. Tomorrow, I'll see friends I haven't seen in a month. I look forward to hearing what's going on with them.
7. Today, I slept in. Afterwards I saw three people for a family session.  It was a good time.
8. In the afternoon, before riding my bike, I met with two people I mentor.  It was the first time they met each other.
9. I prayed today.  The centering power of prayer adds strength and stillness to my soul.  I also prayed with the two I mentor.  It is a special moment when others join me in prayer.
10. After riding bikes, my friend Anne and I walked around Park Street in downtown Alameda.
         I absolutely love this town where I live.  It's charming, the people are friendly, it has much that a person can do, it's a shore town, an island town and many great restaurants. I love celebrating life!
11.  A special event is coming up. I'll let you know more about it in my next post.  Doing so is a part of my growth as a person  Stay tuned.
How About You? 
1. Where are experiencing success?  For me, I see that my rides are getting more rigorous and my body is responding well to the challenge.
2. Where is an area where you've needed to exercise more common sense?  Saturday, I didn't push it when riding, after exerting myself strenuously the night before for two hours and forty minutes.