© Catherine Haslag

Arriving

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© Catherine Haslag

Night Riding

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One late summer evening, I had the opportunity to take a night ride on my bicycle. Headed home from yoga, with my mat slug across my back, I decided to take the long way. The air was relatively dry for a late-August Minnesota night. The sun had set 15 minutes prior and the street lights were on.

The obnoxious light on my rear bike tire that helps keep me safe during night rides.

There is something special about a night ride. When I walk, I usually have my AirPods in, listening to a book or podcast, and I am playing Pokémon Go. Yes, I am a 40-year-old-grown-ass-woman who plays Pokémon. Go team Mystic! Since I am on my bike, my AirPods are out and my phone is secured in my bag. Riding gets my full attention.

The songs of crickets and cicadas become my soundtrack. The lights from the cars and street lamps cast ever-changing shapes on the pavement around me. I look down between my pumping legs and see that obnoxious light spin in and out of my vision on my back tire, each time a different hue of the rainbow.

I see pockets of the world in the darkness. The shape of a tree against the darkening sky. The dimly lit front stoop of a home. The flashing bubble-gums of the county mounty who caught himself a speeder along Oakland. I let this different world surround me, embrace me. There is a stillness that comes with night riding and I open to it. I feel the cool pockets of air on my skin. I enjoy the intimacy and privacy that comes with darkness.

My eyes catch the first “star” in the sky as I turn towards home. Jupiter is bright and hovers above, guiding me back to the land of lamps and light.

© Catherine Haslag

8-8:30

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It’s unseasonably hot for this early in June. Already in the low 90s and it’s just the first week of June. Summer came early this year in Minnesota.

By 9am it is 78 degrees and sunny. The humidity isn’t high and the breeze makes it bearable. I made a vow last night to ride today. I prepped my water bottles and riding clothes last night to make it easier to get going. My attempt to lower the activation energy for this endeavor. I eat breakfast, journal, put on my clothes, and hit the trail. My goal is to start between 8 and 8:30a. This way, I can be home before it starts getting too hot. I mount my bike at 8:24a.

The heat is a serious demotivator for me. I grew up in Missouri along 2 rivers, so I am used to the heat and humidity, but it’s harder for me to tolerate this summer. I don’t know if it’s turning 40 or being the most overweight I have ever been…or both. I long for the Minnesota Junes where the daily high didn’t often top 85 Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the upper 60s to 80 is my sweet spot.

View from behind the handlebars.

I decide I will ride for about an hour and see how far that gets me. Starting is the hardest part. I feel strong in the saddle. Despite not riding on my trainer regularly this winter, my legs quickly hit a good cadence. The air on my skin feels luxurious as I roll through neighborhood streets to the paved trails. Under the interstate, through Todd Park, and around Eastside Lake. I glide through town, passing many walkers and cyclists along the way. They have the same idea – exercise before the heat of the day.

I was hesitant to ride in the morning. I usually get up and work in the morning and then play later in the day. I am a “work first, play later” kind of person. Riding in the morning feels like the opposite of that, but I quickly realize that my body is awake enough to ride and my mind enjoys the quiet before the work of the day. It’s just me, my bike, and the pavement. My mind wonders as I cruise. As my heart rate rises, it feels like my arteries and veins are being flushed, the stagnant areas refreshed. I feel renewed for the day…and very sweaty.

I arrive home 55 minutes and 11.5 miles later. Not bad for the first day. I stretch, hydrate, and cool myself in front of a fan before showering off the sweat and sunscreen. A successful start to the day.

My bike will rest against a shelf in the kitchen until tomorrow morning when we ride again at 8-8:30a.

© Catherine Haslag

To Blog or Not to Blog

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Taken at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, Northfield, MN

This is my second go writing my first blog. You won’t get to read the first one because it didn’t sound like me. I tried to be clever, witty, and funny. While I am all of these things, what I tried to write the first time didn’t sound like my voice.  So I decided to give it another try. What are you reading now sounds much more like me.

We all have a voice. Some of us use our voices, other’s don’t. Some have strong, clear voices that carry easily through valleys, others have quite, delicate voices that required the room to hush so they can be heard. I am using this blog to find my voice, explore it, develop it, and use it in the world. This blog is for my growth. It is a way for me to think, process, write, share, and (hopefully) grow.

I will likely write on a broad range of subjects – biking, camping, hiking, books, educational projects, trips, experiences. Whatever I feel I need to and want to share my opinion, thoughts, or experience regarding. I enjoy researching and learning about new things, which you will likely see in my blog posts. If I include information from sources in my writing, I will cite them or otherwise give them credit to the best of my ability. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Additionally, the resources I have used may be helpful to others, so I want to share them.

This is an experiment for me and I don’t have an idea where it will take me. Life is a great teacher. We not only learn from the experiences life brings to use but also from each other. While this blog is for my growth and learning, I hope that sharing my experience here with you will provide for your growth as well.

I look forward to seeing where this experiment takes me.