My Trek trek(s)

ONE

Having replaced my crappy, falling-apart free bike with a new Trek 7.2FX, I've been riding a lot more. A fast car may not win the race, but it definitely makes you more interested in entering.

Gripped by some mild form of the kind of madness that leads people to climb Everest or drop $60 grand to circumnavigate the globe (yes, I signed up), I decided that I would return to Goshen for Spring Break not by car, but by bicycle.

Within ten minutes of leaving home, I was miserable. The sky was gray, it was starting to drizzle, and, having no experience with making the journey in this particular manner, I didn't know if I had five hours ahead of me or seven. I didn't even know how far it was.

However horrible this idea was turning out to be, though, I couldn't turn back. There would be no shamefully trudging back into the house, and I couldn't risk the possibility that someone had witnessed me, backpack on my back and duffel bag strapped to my bike, going one way, and would be there still to witness my failure. So I decided that I had to make it decently close to halfway, at which point I could call Mom and beg for her to come get me.

Other than a couple of hills that gave me the opportunity to get all the way to my 24th gear (and to reconsider the literalness of the term "breakneck speed"), my first real ray of sunshine came when I hit the intersection of 300 and 1000, the first landmark of my journey. And speaking of sunshine, the sun was starting to come out at this point. I stopped for some water and rode on.

I rode and rode and rode, passing at least two intersections of Country Club Road and Country Club Road, which made staying on Country Club Road somewhat of a challenge. I did go off my planned path a couple of times, which I discovered only today as I examined my route on Google Earth.

And then it happened. The happiest moment of my life: seeing the sign that said "Warsaw City Limits." Two hours, and I'd made it to Warsaw. Elated, I rode on, stopping at Arby's for a bathroom break and some water. And on I rode.

The three miles from Warsaw to Leesburg were a bit tedious, and the five miles from Leesburg to Milford were even worse. It was getting darker and colder, and the traffic on State Road 15 was causing more stress than the leisurely country roads I'd stuck to so far. But I did make it to Milford, where I stopped for a power bar and some gatorade, and my bike fell on me (yes, on me: I was sitting next to it) and bruised my wrist. I then got on Old State Road 15, which was refreshingly devoid of traffic, and rode on.

The ride from Milford to New Paris was better than the previous two legs, but I was getting pretty tired of biking and biking (and biking). But once I made it to New Paris, Goshen was simple. And once you're within the city limits on the south side, it's not far to my house. All told, stops included, I made the 44.5 mile ride in 4:15, for an average of 10.47 mph. That's probably just over 11 mph average during actual riding, which I'm pretty happy with given the nasty winds and hills that sometimes had me at a walking pace.

TWO

I do not want to find out what it feels like to bike 45 miles and then not exercise afterwards, so I took my bike out for a ride around the bike trails today. I went down the millrace and then detoured into Shenklin Park, thinking I'd take the trail through the woods and up to Indiana Avenue, then head over to Kercher Road and back home. I rode through a couple of shallow but formidable puddles, then found my plan challenged: the river had flooded, and the trails in the woods were entirely underwater. There was only one thing to do.

I kept going. The water probably wasn't more than eight inches high at its highest points, but it was enough to soak my feet (and the only shoes I brought). I had to keep pedaling, forcing my bike through the sand and gravel under the water, because stopping meant standing in cold river water. And I also had to keep a close watch to make sure I wasn't getting in too deep or, as became a danger at one point, that I wasn't leaving the trail and riding straight into the river.

When I made it to the edge of the woods, I changed my plan. Instead of heading over to Indiana, I went back through the woods. It was just too much fun to resist. It was even more exciting the second time because, due to the angle of the sun and its reflection on the water, I really couldn't tell where I was going.

I rode back up the millrace, ditched my shoes and socks on our back stoop, showered, and stole some of Dad's clothes. Then I had a power bar and some milk, and Mom gave me twenty dollars. It's my twenty dollars, but it's still nice to have money.

So far, spring break has been good.