Bike riding like a kid

It's a warm summer day, just after a drenching rain. Lovely. Humid.  Good bike-riding weather, for now. I suspect it would be great horse-riding weather too, but I don't ride. 

So, off I went, the L-5 & L-6 issues notwithstanding.  Upright bicycle riding (gently) is supposed to be good for that lumbar area pain.

Earlier in the season, we experimented with various cushiony bike seats. Chose one. Returned the others. Sitting on that, vs. the seat that came with the bike I'm barely impacted by road bumps. 

Wind in my face. Mostly car-less neighborhood streets. Take my time. Gradually increase the speed and resistance. This is very good.

Observing, I realized that I had accessed a young girl in me- maybe 8. Remember? When freedom, speed, invincibility, a bit of risk-taking wonder and timelessness combined? Riding the bike for the pure joy of it. Yummy!

I wondered as I passed walkers on the boardwalk, "Do they have any idea how unstable this helmeted, sunshaded rider actually is?"

Approaching two large construction vehicles parked (illegally) on both sides of the street, I guesstimated the distance between them and dismounted, almost shamelessly, the workers crossing in front of me notwithstanding.  A few weeks ago, I'd tried to ride casually through a similar narrowing, for the sake of the "audience." Wound up tripping myself off the bike in fear.  That's the 8 year old again, but this time recalling the effect of unsuccessfully negotiating the bike wheel getting stuck in a depression at the edge of the sidewalk - ouch!

Temperature rising outdoors. Bike safely back in the garage.  The "workout" cleared my head.

Thanks be to God for the capacity to ride into the 5 mph wind!