Today I took my first bike ride from our new farmhouse.
I love my bike. I bought it almost a decade ago, when I was living in Alexandria, VA, and liked to bike everywhere – the library, the coffee shop, Trader Joe’s, et al. I named her Allie, after my current city.
I haven’t ridden Allie in several years. At our last house, we had a lot of good trails just a short car ride away, but for me there’s something off-putting about having to cram my bike in the back of my car in order to drive somewhere, unload it, and go for a ride. It just seems like way too much effort.
Now, I don’t have to worry about that. Our new farmhouse – the new location of Wild Peace Farm!!! – is right on the NCR Trail, about a mile south of the Maryland-Pennsylvania line. I can literally coast down the hill running from our side door to our driveway, and then, immediately, I’m on the trail.
I tried to use the internet to determine how far I biked today, but I was unsuccessful. However, a correct answer is too far. I listened to an entire episode of the NPR Politics podcast, about 35 minutes long, on my way northbound up the trail. Then I turned around to bike back, and immediately my legs felt like jelly. I had to put the bike into first gear and move at what felt like one-mile-per-hour speed; I even had to get off the bike and walk for a while.
I’ve blogged previously about how an arduous workout can help me to snap out of a rut. I don’t know if I’m in a rut, exactly – but I could be more balanced. I mean, when people talk about putting on holiday weight, I think they’re usually talking about the rush of holiday parties, edible gifts, and cookie shares during Christmastime. But for me, the most dangerous time is February/March – the lead-up to Easter, which is the holiday with the BEST CANDY IN THE UNIVERSE. Oh, Cadbury Mini Eggs and Starburst Jelly Beans – how I love-hate you in all your goodness.
(Literally, I just finished eating a bag of Mini Eggs. But tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. I can’t promise that I won’t eat more Mini Eggs and jel
ly beans prior to Easter! But starting tomorrow, I’m going to try my best to remember that these candies are treats and not a temporary food group that I need to indulge in every single day.)
When I finally returned to Wild Peace Farm, finding Tee working in the greenhouse, I convinced her to take a break from farm work to take me for a coffee date at a nearby cafe. I’d found it while biking through New Freedom, PA, a little town just five minutes from the farm. It’s amazing how doing something new, like taking a ride through a few small towns in Pennsylvania, can help you to reset.
