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Sunrise, Sunset
by John Whiteley
CBC President 1995-1996
March 2000
Sunrise, sunset. Back and forth. Round and round. The days follow one after the other in their continuum, defining the beginning and ending of our individual lives. While we have little control over the start and finish lines of this race we all have to run, we can do a lot to bring definition to the part in between.
Wow. Deep. No, Yr. Obd’t Svt. isn’t suffering from sleep deprivation, nor did he stock up on wacky weed or happy dust down in the islands. No, it’s just the continuous back and forth journeys between Tennessee, Florida, and the Caribbean, the monotony of the days and the continuously changing weather that triggered this feeble mind into thoughts of bicycling. Pleasant thoughts, of course.
You see, due to some rapidly changing life and lifestyle circumstances, your scribe has just gone through the first two week period since starting cycling wherein he didn’t even sit on a bicycle seat. Talk about sensory deprivation! It seems as if the demands of schedules and the restrictions of weather conspired together to keep me house-ridden.
(An aside -- it’s possible to run in icy weather when the roads are too treacherous for cycling. Yes, I know, mountain biking off-road can be fun in those conditions, but my mountain bike is out on loan, since I determined that falling and mountain biking seem to be joined at the hip, so to speak. Thus, I define myself as a Roadie, and in a vain attempt to keep the middle age spread within manageable limits running has been a part of my sporting activity for the past few years. So, one Sunday afternoon during my last time off I began a 7-mile run from my house. After the first half mile it started snowing, lightly at first, then more and more. At about the five mile mark, looking like the Abominable Snowman and scaring small children as I ran through the streets of Spring City, my girlfriend happened to drive past. Recognizing me under my mantle of frozen white stuff she stopped, opened the passenger door and said, "Get in, you fool. Are you trying to catch pneumonia?" Once again, reason prevailed.)
One of the good things about my employment is that the seasons seem to rotate quickly. As those of you who have managed to keep awake through these tales know, I’m the Captain of a seagoing tug plying the waves between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Back and forth, every two weeks. So in late January my employment started by leaving Spring City under a light mantle of snow, driving to Florida just in time to catch one of the worst cold snaps in recent history (freeze warnings in Florida!), then sailing to 85-degree weather in the balmy Caribbean. And now we’re on our way back to Florida, and it’s time to put away the shorts and T-shirts and go back to jeans and long sleeves.
Okay, faithful scribe, get to the point, you say. How in Armstrong’s name does this relate to bicycling? Well, think of this. By the time you receive this newsletter it will be the first of March, and those of us fortunate enough to live in the South will be looking forward to loosing the bonds of winter. The crocuses will be springing up, trees will begin budding out, and the days will start becoming noticeably longer. Now, no matter what flavor of cyclist you may be, hard core racer or once-in-a-blue-moon recreational cyclist, roadie or mountain biker, fitness disciple or laid back tourist, or any combination of the above, why not think of becoming a recreational tourist for at least one day? Think of that first perfect day of spring, the first day when the breezes are balmy, the air is clear and scented with the aromas of newly revived nature, and the birds are singing. Now picture yourself in that landscape atop your steel mule. Find a nice country road, the type of road that we are so lucky to have in abundance around here (don’t tell the Yankees!), take a deep breath, and take a nice, leisurely trip. Don’t worry about your form or how many calories you’re burning, and don’t even think of doing intervals. Just pedal easily over the hills and through the valleys, observing as much as you can of this wonderful world that has been entrusted to us. Smell the smells, see the vistas, feel the warmth of the sun, and listen to the sounds of nature. And be thankful that you have discovered bicycling, a sport that allows you to experience all these senses in such a healthy, relaxed manner. Let all the cares and worries of your ‘other’ life fall to the road or trail in your wake. Renew yourself.
And resolve, as Yr. Obd’t. Svt. has done, to get off the couch and do this more often. A lot more often. Hope to see you on the roads really soon....
HFDF (Have Fun, Don’t Fall),
John
