Short But Meaningful Birthday Ride...
01-13-23, 07:52 AM
#1
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Short But Meaningful Birthday Ride...
In my 50s I had rode my age in miles within a week or two of my birthday. January weather can be tricky in Colorado. I did 57 miles in 2019...my personal record for length. I was an 18-mile a day commuter (9mi each way) with longer weekend rides.
Then the company I worked for closed, and I worked for myself from home for 18 months, which allowed me the "luxury" of longer rides more often. But last January's 60-mile attempt was cut short in the 40s by a phone call requesting a job interview in two hours. I didn't get that job. But I did get a new job in July, and have been bike commuting 12-miles a day (6 each way) since then.
My longer weekend rides have become more difficult, as my Sundays are taken up with helping care for my 93-year old mother-in law (THAT would be a birthday ride!), as well as many Saturdays.
So yesterday, on my 61st birthday I rode the 6 short miles to my new office at my new job and I celebrated that as my birthday ride. It was meaningful that I had been able to find and secure new employment in my field, and to still have the health and gumption to ride most days including down to 5F and up to 3" of snow.
To celebrate the new job I had bought a super-light 2006 Felt F-65, and I plan to ride that bike 61 miles at some point this year, now that I have most of my Sundays back. But even if I do, yesterday's regular, normal 6-mile ride to the office will still hold much significance, and I will consider that my true birthday ride...I worked hard for it.
Then the company I worked for closed, and I worked for myself from home for 18 months, which allowed me the "luxury" of longer rides more often. But last January's 60-mile attempt was cut short in the 40s by a phone call requesting a job interview in two hours. I didn't get that job. But I did get a new job in July, and have been bike commuting 12-miles a day (6 each way) since then.
My longer weekend rides have become more difficult, as my Sundays are taken up with helping care for my 93-year old mother-in law (THAT would be a birthday ride!), as well as many Saturdays.
So yesterday, on my 61st birthday I rode the 6 short miles to my new office at my new job and I celebrated that as my birthday ride. It was meaningful that I had been able to find and secure new employment in my field, and to still have the health and gumption to ride most days including down to 5F and up to 3" of snow.
To celebrate the new job I had bought a super-light 2006 Felt F-65, and I plan to ride that bike 61 miles at some point this year, now that I have most of my Sundays back. But even if I do, yesterday's regular, normal 6-mile ride to the office will still hold much significance, and I will consider that my true birthday ride...I worked hard for it.
01-13-23, 08:57 AM
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It's your birthday ride, you get to make the rules. If you want to celebrate being healthy enough to ride your age in miles you can do it whenever you want.
Congrats on the new gig. Congrats on being tough enough to go out when it's 5 degrees.
Congrats on the new gig. Congrats on being tough enough to go out when it's 5 degrees.
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01-13-23, 01:26 PM
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congratulations! happy birthday! my Mom will be 93 in March ... I drive a lot to go see her. it's what we do, eh? here's hoping we get there as well
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01-13-23, 03:19 PM
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dontcha mean it's a 6.1 mile ride to work? see what I did there?
Congrats on the new job, and congrats on the bday ride --
Congrats on the new job, and congrats on the bday ride --
03-01-23, 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
congratulations! happy birthday! my Mom will be 93 in March ... I drive a lot to go see her. it's what we do, eh? here's hoping we get there as well
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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