Cycling Sisters

2 miles into my commute home tonight I will hit 10,000 on my
cyclometer! I figured if anyone in the world would understand my
great joy at this, you will also be a reader of this listserve :)

Some of those miles were spent on the most gorgeous of days when the
wind was at my back, the temperature perfect, the lake deep blue, the
air clear, the sun shining, and the joggers not awake yet. Some of
those miles were spent with my head down slogging through strong
headwinds, heart pounding as I counted the seconds between a streak
of lightening and a clap of thunder, hoping that I had just mis-
counted somewhere between 1 and 2. Some of the miles were spent on
overnight bike trips with friends, some in massive group rides for
AIDS, and others spent alone in the quiet dappled light of the
forest preserve. Some rides were so hot I wished I could strip my
skin off, and some so cold I thought I was going to loose my fingers
even though I had both gloves and mittens on. Some rides were spent
dodging people, others dodging snowdrifts, and others heading
straight for a puddle with waterproof pants, fenders and a childlike
yelp. Some rides I played tag with the lake as we raced around Oak
Street curve. Sometimes I won, sometimes I got wet. A few of the
miles were spent in a slow walk home with a limp tire and a grand
sigh. A few of those miles were paused while helping others fix the
tire and avoid the long walk home. All 10,000 miles had one thing in
common - My bike Stretch and I did them together and enjoyed every
minute of it!

So if you are on the lake front this afternoon two miles north of
downtown and you suddenly hear a cycling sister let out a tremendous
whoop of joy, you will know that Stretch and I just hit 10,000.