When it comes to rain and cycling, I’m a confirmed, proud baby. I don’t mind getting wet myself and if it starts to rain while I’m on a ride, no big deal. But I WILL NOT start a ride when the roads are wet or it’s raining for a couple of reasons. Brakes are not as good when wet, though I’ve yet to really test this with the disc brakes that came on ‘Locke’. Wet tires do not grip the road as well, thus making curves more hazardous. Vehicles have poorer visibility, and finally crap gets all into my gears, chain and all over the bike and I hate to clean that mess up.
A mist had been falling before I arrived home yesterday, so I grabbed Dakota and headed out for a 6-mile hike. When I reached Hale Farm, I noticed the sheep and lambs were in the pasture close to the road and feeding peacefully. I couldn’t help but remember the confrontation with the farm owner several days earlier when he essentially accused Dakota of killing and eating his lambs and chickens. I’m still puzzled by his accusation and not accepting my explanation that I was sure I’d have noticed her chowing down on his livestock. In any event, I couldn’t help but call out to the helpless animals.
“You guys are making me hungry,” I said in a soothing, ‘come on over for dinner’ voice.
They looked at me…and then Dakota who was paying absolutely not attention to them…and scurried to the far corner of the pen.
I mean maybe they understand English, but not well enough to get sarcasm? I felt a little bad, but not much and continued on the hike. It never did rain during the entire distance and a couple of cyclist rode by making me wish I’d gotten out on ‘Locke’. Once I got home, I spent the next hour cleaning out the traveling dump I drive in until the insides of the Toyota were sparkling and smelling fresh. I called Miggie about dinner.
“How about I walk into Peninsula and meet you at Fisher’s?” I asked, knowing that if I did so, I’d top 30,000 steps for the day.
She agreed and I started off thinking how I needed only to average 20,000 a day for the rest of the month to break my single-month record. This would give me a good cushion should anything come up over the weekend of camping that would make hiking problematic.
I made it to town in a little over 70 minutes, but I will admit my legs and feet were getting tired. I have a lot of work to do for the coming long, multi-day hikes with a backpack filled with what I’ll need to live for that time on the trail, but that’s a worry for another day.
Hike: Two hours and 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 70 - 90 bpm.
Calories Burned: 875.
Bonus: 30,000 steps.
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