If Empty Nesting Is Anything Like Riding A Bike...

Then I may very well buy training wheels (chardonnay).  The best "training wheels" (chardonnay) money can buy!

In Vancouver we rode 13.6 miles with E & T.  We followed that up on Tuesday with a short 5 miler... Got a late start in the morning and - to be honest, I haven't been on a bike since I was TWELVE so riding down the Palouse Highway that morning - a day after crashing down... was a bit unnerving.  So we bickered a little.

Day 3 found us on the Fish Trap trail - 7 miles out to Marshall and 7 miles back.  14.1 miles...  Improvement.  Gradual climb, easy trail... but the bumps killed my rear as it continues to get "used" to this saddle.  Fast forward to last night... 

We get to the trail, we get going on our bikes and about 2.5 miles in, The Dad says "Hey, if you get behind me you can draft and it will be easier."
 

I don't want, nor do I NEED easier right now.  I NEED to get comfortable on a bike, be able to move my hands without feeling like I might crash, stand up while I'm coasting or even to peddle - but it's been 4 days after a 30 year absence.  Just not ready to pretend I'm a bike racer.  So I said a few choice words and he rode on.

Ever since I tore my achilles the second time - I'm still skittish with people, kids, shopping carts (and now bikes) behind me.  If they come up behind me, not so much... but if I KNOW he or someone is riding behind me - it's NOT comforting.  So I pretty much demand he ride on ahead.  He asks if I mind if he speeds up on ahead of me. 

No. Fine.  Please do.

En route back to the car with about 2.5 miles to go he slows down a bit so he's not 40 yards ahead of me and then pops this question:  "Do you want to go faster for a bit?"

With the hair now standing up on the back of my head, a self induced hot flash, due to anger begins to surface.  At 14 miles per hour, I'm not disappointed with this.  I don't want to draft behind him and let me see... ITS ONLY BEEN FOUR DAYS!!!!  I'll speed on my bike when I'm ready to "go fast" on my bike.  But it's not like I was riding along like a 73 year old grandma either. 

So this whole new activity for us to do when Wack leaves in two weeks isn't starting out with a bang.  Or wait, maybe it is.