Biking is a Blast

I have been cycling now for a number of years.  Last year I put nearly 1000 miles on my bike.  Now I run/walk to stay in shape, but I bike because I love it.  Especially in the last few years where it feels like I am not fighting the bike.  It is kind of like the runners high (or so they tell me, I never had a runners high) where you literally are working along with the bike and your body and the bike feel like a single machine.  Hard to say in words but I think cyclists probably know what I am talking about.  Biking is a blast because you actually can go somewhere.  I have a number of rides - my typical short ride is 15 miles and my typical longer ride is 20-30 miles.  I have gone as much as 50 in a single day, but that is unusual.  I typically go about 15-16 MPH on average.  Some people are much more advanced than I am and go much further and much faster.  Our pastor, Joe Coffey is an absolute machine on the bike and I could never keep up with him and probably would have trouble even drafting him.  Part of the joy in biking is seeing the scenery.  We live in a beautiful area and my typical ride takes me through farmlands.  I really enjoy the sounds and the smells of the area.  I typically stop at Sunnywood Lake in Aurora on my way back and just listen, meditate, and pray.  I am learning to really appreciate sounds - normally I am brain dead when it comes to sounds.  But that is another post. The pinnacle of biking is the long downhill slope where you just feel the exhilaration as you edge your bike up in speed.  I like it better than the sharp downhill because you really contribute to the speed you get.  The opposite is the long slow uphill.  I have learned to enjoy this more - used to dread it.