I drove off in the wrong direction. On purpose.
I just had to do it, I couldn’t help myself. After a full day of staring at the first day of beautiful weather outside, I would never forgive myself if I didn’t enjoy it a little bit as well. So the moment I set foot outside the door, I drove off. In the wrong direction.
Without a clear plan or destination, I rode by newly restored bicycle through the sunny Dutch landscapes. A landscape I had seen many times before the past few years and grew familiar with. That didn’t appear to be enough for me though because as I was nearing the final crossroad, I paused. I looked right and saw the route I’ve taken many times before. I looked left and wasn’t quite sure where that route would lead me. A quick peek at my maps application taught me that going left had the potential of extending my trip a little.
My legs weren’t even warmed up yet and my head wasn’t even cleared from the day in the office so it’s no secret which option I chose. I snapped a quick photo over my shoulder and set off again.
The ride was smooth, the weather was soft, my endorphins were raging. Finally I’m out there again!
An added benefit from this quick ride was that I could more thoroughly test my bicycle before I take it out on longer rides. Which is just an excuse for saying that I need to test myself. I don’t even know where my bodily limits currently are and need to test the waters a little. I don’t want to be that guy who sets out for a long ride, only to have to take the train back home out of exhaustion.
Today was perfectly fine though. I got a better grasp of what a comfortable speed is for me and how much ground I can cover in what amount of time (12K in 30 minutes, ish). The only reason I broke a sweat is because I underestimated the afternoon warmth caused by the late-May sunshine. I guess that’s what you get when you have to stare at the beautiful weather from behind the glass all day.
As I’m typing this I’m enjoying the refreshment of a cold beer and feel the hunger creeping up on me. Time for dinner.