Saturday, May 15, 2010

The Joy of Movement--Pure & Simple


As I sliced through the cool crisp mountain air this morning high on the Blue Ridge Parkway I thought of two things.


1. I glanced at my Garmin 305 and it rather succinctly indicated that I was flying down the northern decent after Groundhog Mountain at 39 miles mph.

2. I banished all thought of a crash from my mind as the pure endorphin rush hit as my speed peaked.

As the Parkway leveled off I spun my pedals at a good steady cadence as I rolled along America’s most scenic and traveled 469 mile National Park. I was passed by cars & motorcycles as we rolled in unison toward our whatever’s. Yet as I rolled along I felt the inner exhilaration that those on some sort of motor vehicle will never feel.


You see on this perfect mountain morning my movement came from within. I was the force of movement. I determined how far or how fast I was to go. Nothing came without my effort. I could never feel the high of a 38 mph decent if I hadn’t worked really hard pedaling my ass off up the incline to get to the top.


No secrets here. Pure and simple effort—from within—was needed to shake off all gravitational force to get me over the crest. The reward of moving to the center of the road for the headlong decent into the place where fear is conquered and no crash happens to screw up a glorious moment.

Having said all of the above, I truly marvel at all shapes and sizes of truly outrageous places I have experienced great moments of joy as I ran, biked, canoed or crawled thru flora/fauna/stream/lake/mountain & desert alike.

For the past 30 years I awake each day wondering what new joy will I see—smell—touch or embrace as I self propel my 200 pound self thru urban jungles or smooth forest paths. I am truly blessed to have met so many of you along these highways & byways to share moments of great movement together.


I think not on the day that it all might end. I simply choose not to stray too far without running shoes near or my 14 pound red Tommaso beast at ready for the next ride.
Look forward to all of our next movements together……where ever they may be.

:)……..Bubba

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