157th ride

After not riding the last two days due to knee pain I was experiencing following my 5+ miles of walking on Monday, I was glad to get back to it today. It almost didn't happen, though—but after displaying a bit of a snit late afternoon, I took a nap and then got my act together and went out about 8:45 (grateful for our extended daylight at this time of year) and rode a ride similar to Sunday's, although just slightly different at the end, continuing on Woodland all the way down to Maple and then turning around to return home. This gave me a nice 9.9-mile ride in 51 minutes. I fleetingly almost allowed myself to be tempted to push on a bit further, but then I remembered the good-natured advice my daughter gave me after the knee problem: "All things in moderation."

I found myself chafing a bit at the restrictions I have agreed to, of only riding on paths and walks, and staying off the road. But as I pondered it, I very quickly realized that I need to focus on the great joy of being able to ride again, instead of pining over something I can't do, and so bent all my efforts (and my prayers) toward focusing my heart in that direction. Perhaps someday I'll be able to ride on the road again—and perhaps not. I hope so, but if it doesn't happen, I'm OK with that.

More than once, however, I encountered pedestrians (dog-walkers, especially) who looked at me with an irritated expression as I came toward them, as though they were thinking, "Hey, buddy, you belong on the road. This is a sidewalk, not a sideride." But I just tried to display my best manners and good nature.