Larry,Labor,OPUS,bikes, and Powell Road…

7:35 this morning a team of ten departed the Powell Gazebo on our bikes and headed east down Powell Road before quickly turning to the north on our way to a tiny town called Magnetic Springs. We retraced my friend Larry’s last ride. And, I added a twist or two.

Larry has been gone for four plus years now but everytime I do this loop and everytime I turn down Seldom Seen Road I swear he’s with me. I love this loop. I love allowing my mind to return to its favorite people via the route we traversed together.

So as we wound down our return to Larry’s favorite ride, I surprised the boys with a turn to the left on Liberty Road followed by a quick right on Carriage. I could hear FM mumbling in the back wondering where we were deviating toward when we had already been 50 plus miles. As we descended toward 315 and the Olentangy River, jmo pulled up alongside and I told him my plan. “We’re going up Powell Road,” I told him with a huge grin creasing my face.

Powell Road is one of those roads you avoid because of traffic and because it’s the steepest hill around these parts. In the next few days they are closing the road and leveling the hill for safety reasons. So, we’ve got to do it one last time before it’s gone. And, I told jmo, the last time I did this hill had to be twenty years ago. The kids were little and we’de go swimming at WHCC which was about 6 miles from our house. I would ride my bike over and Miss would drive the kids in the Land Cruiser. After a good swim together I would race them home just like my Dad had done when I was a boy. He would always race us home from Church on his bike. We almost always won unless he hit the lights just right…

I would take off early on my bike and head out of WHCC and turn left on 315 and go as fast as my little twigs could pedal and hope Miss was taking her time getting Krits out of the kiddie pool, letting Andrew make one more “toes to the edge” move, and Jordan have one more dunk with Ryan. By the time I hit Powell Road the hill felt like hitting a wall. Inevitably, the maroon Land Cruiser would go by me with three kids screaming out the window for me to go faster. Smiles all around and a sudden burst of energy for me. I’d wave and smile back, knowing I was toast but so happy to be playing with the ones I love.

Today, coming from the other direction, I turned right and headed up Powell Road for one last time. My legs hurt, my lungs burned, and I smiled anyway. Half way up the hill I looked back to see if a Land Cruiser was coming.

Nope. Nothing.

My mind saw ’em anyway. My mind saw my Miss slowing the Land Cruiser and kinda helping me up the hill. My mind saw the most beautiful little girl with her blonde curls yelling out the window. My mind saw little A with his dark tanned arms waving his heart out. My mind saw Jordan with his cheeks bouncing in the wind, urging me on. My face creased even further as my smile just enveloped me. The top of the hill finally arrived and Mick pulled up to thank me for the ride. He had never done the Powell Raod hill.

Today, we did Larry’s last ride with a twist that took me further down memory lane. The heat, humidity, and the miles took their toll. My memories, however, replaced whatever electrolytes were lost and then some. I’m still smiling and kinda fired up for another day invested toward my OPUS – my labor of love.

ThanksMiss,J,A,Krits,T,Larry,jmo,FM,Mickanator,Churp,Stud,Clean,Grantland,Shoe,Brett, for memories old and new. Who knew this just wasn’t another Labor Day ride? Who knew…