Where Did I Put My Stuff? It Was Right Here a Minute Ago.

I exercised for an hour and a half this morning before the heat became unbearable. I spent a half an hour trying to find all my accoutrements for my bike ride and then I rode for an hour. The half hour I spent getting ready was an experience in frustration. I need four things for a bike ride: watch, heart monitor, helmet, bike. That’s all, but getting all of this stuff ready and out the door in an orderly fashion is something that seems to be beyond my capability. I started out knowing where everything was, but I lost my watch and heart monitor separately on my way down the stairs and out the door. I got distracted by about 1000 things that I shouldn’t have gotten distracted by. I made about six trips up and down the steps trying to fix fake messes that I somehow made. The worst was when I lost my heart monitor. I wrapped it around my handlebars, went back inside to get my helmet, and forgot where I put it. I tried up stairs, I tried downstairs, I tried upstairs again. I said lots of bad words and finally gave up, deciding to go on my ride without it. It was almost worse finding it on my handlebars than believing it had vanished into the ether. Then I went on a fantastic ride. I rode to and around the Roosevelt Publix, back down Riverside Avenue, along the river; I did a lap around Memorial Park, continued onto the Northbank Riverwalk, and turned around at the Times-Union helipad. I only spent 2 ½ minutes with my heart rate above 150, and I still made great time. When I started out I thought I was going to have problems with my back, but the bike ride was exactly what my back needed. Twelve miles and 1000 calories later, I’m ready for the rest of the day.