Sharing the Love

I had a bit of a conundrum this weekend. It was perfect Southern California Fall weather, 80 degrees, sunny, breezy. It's perfect weather for a nice long ride, or…. for a surf. Yes I said it, surf. I want to go surf. I haven't been down to the beach for a month and it's killing me. I love my bike and I had a blast riding this weekend, but I'm lacking something. I miss having salt water drip out of my nose, the smell of fresh wax, the sound of Velcro, I even miss dancing over rocks at low tide. What I wouldn't do right now for a bruise or cut on the bottom of my foot.

I'm a very guilty person. I feel like I'm cheating on my bike when I go surf. I love my bike, way too much. I named her, I talk to her, I even pat her on the handlebars and thank her when we had an especially good ride. When we stay in hotels I put her by the bed so I can look at her while I fall asleep. I even told my hubby that the next house we get needs a big bedroom so I can hang the bikes in there. This makes me sound like a lunatic but it's all true, I blame my Mom, she had the same obsession with her car. I don't have this connection with my surfboard. I love it, but I don't love it, love it. My connection/love with surfing comes from being in the ocean. Nature can be incredible, I've barked with sea lions 2 feet away from me, had dolphins breach right in front of me (too close for comfort actually), and have watched biblical sunsets. By the way, salt water cures everything. It's the truth, mental, physical ailments, it's a cure-all. It's like Windex for Greeks.

Don't get me wrong, cycling can also let you enjoy nature, and if you're lucky enough you can earn your right to some amazing vistas and some real hidden gems, just pedal. Another characteristic that cycling and surfing share is the feeling you get while doing them, weightlessness. Gliding across the face of a wave is like no other feeling in the world, and a twisty, smoothly paved, perfectly pitched descent can make you hoot with abandon. Like a floaty bird. I love them both and I'm lucky to have the ability to do them on a regular basis. But as cyclists we should all count our blessings every time we click into our pedals that we are able to do what we do and share this sport with such an amazing group of people. That's probably one of the biggest reasons why I ride more than surf.