The last post was actually about my Christmas Eve ride. Today's ride was a bit different. I checked the weather and wind and decided to try the Galena trip again. It was a lot easier to get around the construction knowing where to pick up the path again on the other side.
I had forgotten how much I love the view of the John Mack bridge over the river. To get to the southeast section of the path, you have to go under the bridge, come up the other side, go back north over the new bridge and then wrap around to the path. Once you get past all of that, there is one of my favorite old railroad bridges.
After that point, I only saw two groups of people, a dad carrying his daughter who yelled "Merry Christmas!" as I rode past, and a family of bikers at Garvey park. 
It's only about 8 miles from home to the end of the path so I wasn't really ready for a break, but I wanted to see what was on the other side of the park. There was wide sidewalk that led down to the river and a canoe launch point. It's a good place to stop for just a minute to think.
After I left Garvey Park, I finished the ride by going around Sedgwick County Park. It ended up being 29.4 miles in 2.5 hours. I guess I needed to ride one more time around the park to make it to 30. I ride because I love to ride, but for me, the scenery is important. I like having other people on the path if they are friendly, especially other riders going the opposite direction, but I don't like it when it is really crowded. It's just too hard to keep a steady pace avoiding dogs and small children.
Someone asked me once what I think about for two and a half hours. Today, I realized that I really don't think about a lot of things. I look at everything around me and watch the terrain to stay safe. I pay attention to my cadence and my speed and make decisions about shifting or muscling a hill. I watch the gulls and whistle at the suicidal geese on the path and say hey in response to the other bikers and joggers I meet. I wonder when they are going to allow water back into the river.
I marvel at the beauty of the sky and dodge lovers caught up in a romantic gaze in the middle of the path. It always seems so intrusive when I have to shout, "On your left" just as they are about to kiss. Ah well, maybe they should choose a road less traveled or just stand in the grass. That would be nice.
Most of the time, it's just me and the path and the changes in the wind and temperature. It's my stamina and my blood sugar. Did I fuel up enough for the ride? Did I get enough sleep? I started to feel weak at 18 miles, but at 22 my energy came back and home was just a few miles away. Today was a good day.
On the John Mack.
View from the John Mack.
Another view from the bridge.
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