I didn't Strava this and I almost hesitate to post about it since it wouldn't be an accomplishment for anybody except me but I'm going to. Today, I rode to the Kum & Go market and back again.
Some people probably remember when I first started riding a bike. I learned to ride because I was frustrated with being unable to test-ride the bikes I worked on in the shop and because LoP went everywhere by bike and if I walked to the park then I'd get there 20 minutes after he did and he'd be very nearly bored and ready to leave. It was never my intention to win races or ride great distances. (I still think I might like cyclocross especially because there aren't as many women competing at my age so I'd be pretty much guaranteed a good finish if I finished at all. But people keep laughing and saying I'd kill myself, so we'll see.) I mostly wanted to be the kind of person who could say "Oh, look. There's a new Redbox movie at the store a mile away from here" or "I guess we're out of Cokes/Red Bull/creamer, I'll go get some".
And today, I rode most of the way to the store- I had to keep getting off to ask people where the store was because the maps app on my phone freaking lies- and all the way back except for when I had to cross a super-busy street. Even with the wind gusts, I had a good time. I rode down an alleyway for the first time which was excellent and which I will be doing more of. I rode a bunchy of non-pavement and it was uneven and there was gravel and mud and I will be doing a hell of a lot more of that in the future.
I bought some energy drinks and two of those 1893 colas, which are the bomb, and I sat in the sun and ate a hot dog and I rented "The Benefactor". Then I rode home to Cottonwood Central. Yep. Just like in those old movies where the whatever it is is inside the house, the allergens are right next to the house in the form of a whole bunch of Cottonwood trees. There are so many that when the wind blows, you can see those white floaty things drifting past the window as if it was snowing. But I started taking Allegra two days ago and today I made it through this ride with only a little panting so maybe things will get even better.