Reading up a storm

The timing could not have been better.

Yesterday, I went out to work on my trails. The snow has melted, and as such, there is a lot of vegetation and tree nubs that need to be removed to make the trails safer for bikes and bikers alike. It was nearly 4 hours of sawing and snipping and dragging, and while the finished product was acceptable, I knew I would be paying the price later.

The first price was my sleep. You would think I would have slept like a log – in fact, like one of the logs I had to drag from my path – but this was not the case. Since I did so many hours of repetitive work, it entered into my dream world as well. I ended up clearing trails with a group of aliens, section by section, and the dream related it to me in excruciating detail. It was like doing another 4 hours of trail work. And don’t get me wrong, I like to work on trails … but not enough to make it a full time job!

The second price was the physical trauma I experienced when I woke up the next morning. My sides were feeling pretty sore from all the pulling and sawing, and my hamstrings were quite tight from getting into those awkward positions over and over again – not to mention my knees, which were raw and bruised from kneeling so often on those rough trails. I felt like I had been run over by my own bike and there was no way I was going to go riding today. I just did not have it in me.

Which was perfect, because today, we just got hit with seriously strong winds and cold temperatures, not to mention a layer of snow to top it all off … literally. It was not a good day for a fat bike ride. In fact, when I looked outside, I had a silent and personal celebration. It makes it far easier to say no to biking when the weather outside is miserable. No one likes to stay indoors when the day is glorious, because you know deep down that you are squandering a wonderful opportunity. Not this time. Not going outside was saving me from misery and frostbite. Easy decision.

So, what do I do instead? Well, it just so happened that I came across a really good ebook the day before when I was searching through Libby, the public library app where I can get free ebooks and emagazines. I started reading it the night before, and the story was a good one. Since it is spring break, I have no obligations right now and so my time is pretty much my own.

With a big sigh of relief, my hamstrings and lower back and knees sighing in ecstasy, I sank deep into my Ikea reading chair this morning and began my reading marathon. When I was young, I was able to read for 10 hours or more in one day, without a bit of regret. I would not be able to reach double figures today, but I was sure going to try. I curled up with my ebook and dove deep into the story, and to my delight, it did not disappoint me at all. It was a gift from the recovery gods and I was taking full advantage of it.

I would keep writing about this but I have a second date with my Ikea chair. I am a third of the way through this ebook and I cannot wait to find out what the author brings forth now.