Archive | April, 2013
Aside

How Can Something So Large Move So Carefully

6 Apr

“Out of the darkness/The sunrise exposes them/Mountains from nothing.”

They appeared, as if my magic, first floating in the pre-dawn darkness and then more substantially as the sun provided a backdrop of definition. They are, I believe foothills for the Southern Sierra’s. They may not be true mountains in the same sense as their cousins farther to the north, but what they lack in height and volume, they make up for in their daunting contrast to the flatlands that make up the landscape surrounding the ribbon of roadway that allows access to their secrets.

Raw, beautifully framed, majestically revealed geography such as I observed on the ride today is one of the tangibles that make cycling a sport that transcends most others and provides a moving window into a world that most will never experience.

Part of the magic is that the view is unique to this place and especially this time and because no one will ever witness it quite the same, should the sun continue to rise on this vista for a thousand years, I drink it in and hope to savor the memory for the rest of my life.

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Sometimes The Matter Minds

5 Apr

“Speed is a result/Function is a state of mind/Mind over matter?”

 

Todays muse arises from my contemplation of the fact that I’m unable to will my body to do that which it refuses to do. As I watched the quickly receding pack, I strove to remain in contact, but my desire outstripped my capacity. It reminded me that while the mind is a vital part of achievement, there must be sufficient physical resources to accomplish the objective.

That is not to say that we should not always continue to strive, for each time anew, the objective may be accomplished, even if it was not possible the moment before.

A Solitary Pursuit

4 Apr

“Singular pursuit/Solitary definement/Bereft of contact.”

This mornings Haiku was inspired by the solitary nature of my early morning rides.  I leave the house abut 4:30 and return about 7:00 and I rarely see any other riders on my route.  Occasionally I see some lights in the distance and I’ll speed up to see who else might be crazy enough to be on a bike at this time of day and I find that I look forward to the contact.  At the same time, riding alone is enjoyable in a different way from the typical group ride in that the quality of thought during those moments of solitude is often very productive.  

We are certainly social beings, but there is a reluctant and haunting attraction to being alone from time to time.

On the bike that aloneness can be both physical and temporal.