Haiku #27 Biking with Trains

I learned how to ride a bike extremely late in my childhood...However, I have tried to make up for it since then.  In an effort to feel confident on a bike, I got a fancy cruiser hybrid bike in my 20's and rode everywhere.  I was terribly clueless and it was quite sometime before I realized I had gears that could make bike riding so much easier. It was sad, but I was the nerd who dressed like a road biker and was zipping around on my cruiser.

Two years ago, I hurt my knee running a half marathon and no matter what I did, it wasn't getting better.  My husband and I held a garage sale, saved, and pooled funds, and I got my first road bike.  It is a lovely starry dark blue and it was about one million times faster than the heavy cruiser I was huffing around town.

I'm able to run more now after a long break, but riding my bike is still one of my favorite ways to open the day.  I went for a 27 mile bike ride this morning and though the air was crisp, it was a marvelous day to ride. When choosing a route,  I'm not one for hills.  I like the workout I get going up a hill, but I hate going down, because I am a coward by nature and the thought that only a little rock stands between me and paralysis after crashing at 40 mph is too much. But, the trail by my house is more flat and wide and I love working my way through it, winding in and out of trees, seeing the birds of the lake, and the pumpkin fields in the fall. Plus, the railroad tracks parallel the trail for a bit.  Nothing compares to the times I have flown around the corner only to hear a train come barreling up behind me going 65 mph.  I zip along with it and like a crazy dog chasing a car, I feel exhilarated and invincible.

This morning was a glorious morning to ride as the sun tipped the mountain and cast sharp shadows across my path.  It seemed like the best thing to do on one of the last cold mornings of May.

Morning Bike Ride
by Kate Cowan

Speeding fast forward,
this blue bike lightly balanced,
my path cut sun deep.