Alarm went off at 4:15 this morning, but I was already awake.  Too much stuff on my mind, and that’s why this ride is so important.  The ride itself is usually a beat down, although the pace this morning was fairly relaxed compared to the normal Tuesday pace.  The physicality of the ride clears my mind, gives me purpose and focus, and makes me sharper for the rest of the day.  But the real benefit of these rides is the quality of people I meet.

I had a great conversation after the ride today over a cup of coffee.  It’s amazing how perspective changes with age.  Most of the 40+ year old guys I ride with now could have kicked my 20 year old ass around the block.  They all manage to balance families, careers and a passion for cycling.  None of us take our time on the bike for granted at this age, and we all seem to want to squeeze everything we can out of every ride.  But aside from that, we all realize that there are more important things in life than ourselves.

Anyway, it’s pretty empowering to start your day with a 33 mile bike ride as the sun rises with 30 or more people, then coffee and deep conversation about helping others, all before starting a regular work day at 8am.