Monday, July 13, 2015

Riding in Reverse

They say you should do crosswords to exercise your brain.  

If you've got a bike, there's a much better way.

In reverse.  Ft Pierce Trail.  Take your friends.

I think about the Big Dipper drop at the beginning.  Today, it'll be the uphill at the end.  A tad daunting, yes?

Neural pathways are funny things.  We get to Ft Pierce maybe twice a year.  Haven't been down there since Easter.  So, it's not as if the trail is deeply ingrained, right? 

And yet, my brain struggles with the trail reversal.  It is so very familiar - yet not.  If I recognize the turns at all, it is mostly after I am by them.

Which makes it a whole new trail.  And who doesn't love a brand new trail?

Up the Drop!
Unexpectedly fast - and fun.
Didn't even have to pedal.

Even when we ride the very familiar Turkey Creek or Wickham in reverse, it's the same sensation.  All new. 

Sometimes you don't even notice the spots that give you trouble from the other way. 

Or sometimes, say if the Ho Chi Minh became the Minh Chi Ho, turns and climbs might pop up in spots you never saw before. 

Then spots might be all you see.  Like purple ones.  In front of your eyes.

Fortunately I have a pretty good tan.  Hides bruising very well. 

Today I will probably forego my contacts and wear my new big-frame glasses when I go to Publix.  They'll cover the small, but noticeable, cut across the bridge of my nose. 
 
A sore nose.  A bit of a headache.  Ok, yeah, so my knee hurts a little too.  

A small price to pay for bigger, happier, brain cells, right?

If you have a mountain bike, you'll understand.



   





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