Basic Training

Sorry posts are coming so late in the evening these days. I haven’t had much time to spend sitting in front of the computer this week and have been busier than a cat in a litter box. I also haven’t had much to write about either.

I have been in “basic training” all week for my upcoming hike this September. I rode my bike over 15 miles today early this morning before the sun got high in the sky and heated up the air. I have also completely changed my diet and cut out all sodas. I have even gone so far as to stop smoking cigarettes. I only occasionally smoke my pipe during the day. I already feel more energetic and fitful after just a week of these sudden changes. I am deadly serious about this hiking stuff and want the Pinhoti trail under my belt before the leaves begin to change and the first frost arrives.

Before I obtained my new car, I walked or rode my bike everywhere. I have found since I have a decent car that it makes me lazy and I am more apt to jump in it to travel across town or to my father’s store. This week I have tried to change that mentality and to rely more on my bike or my feet for transportation. It sometimes takes careful planning and arranging my journeys so they are either in the early morning or early evening to avoid the heat of the midday. I forgot how enjoyable it could be though. As you walk or ride a bike, you are more likely to notice nature, your surroundings, and what is going on around you. Familiar landmarks take on a different meaning as they become goals to accomplish.

I have also found that there is a stigma to walking or riding your bike everywhere here where I live. You seem to be considered poor or disenfranchised. There is this definite “cult of the car” that is pervasive in the society that inhabits my local town.