I’m part of an online group for Midwest Cyclists. This month our ringleader, Cliff, issued a challenge to climb 15,000 feet. In Central Illinois, particularly Champaign County, this is harder than it sounds. Some riders cheated by driving to better start locations, but all my rides started and ended at home in Urbana, which meant I had to go crazy long distances just to get to something resembling terrain. So in addition climbing almost 20,000 feet in August, I also rode over 1,000 miles.
Did I mention I’ve ridden 15 centuries (100+ mile rides) so far this year? I keep thinking I’ll blog about it, but I continue procrastinating instead. Easier to think about my next long ride than to write about it. (You can see what I’ve been up to at https://www.strava.com/athletes/11918813 )
Cycling clears my mind so effectively that in high season I hardly do anything else. I’m either riding, or recovering, or eating (big calorie deficits!), or fiddling with my bikes (I got another new-to-me vintage recumbent this summer), or staring at maps, or just generally procrastinating until I can bike again. Hence, not much drawing and even less (i.e. no) animation. Colder weather will force me inside, literally and figuratively, where my attention will eventually re-engage with artistic creativity. Until then, I’m just a pedaling animal like this mountain goat.
