A great ride…

This morning, a client cancelled practice. I looked outside, checked the weather channel, threw on some Lycra, gloves, helmet, shades, and hopped on my bike for some cyclotherapy. Before I turned right on Sherborne, my straight face had broken into a Duchenne smile – Good…

Riding down Seldom Seen Road took me back nearly a decade. You see, Seldom was where my good friend and fellow builder, Larry, would meet me for one of our rolling meetings. He would ride over from Dublin and we’d meet in the middle – always somewhere on Seldom. I can hear his booming greeting – “How are You!” I turned left and wandered through Wedgewood. Took me back but a few years to the many times Durp would pedal up and we’d meet somewhere in this neighborhood. I don’t recall his greeting but it was always with the biggest, childlike smile. Larry’s been gone since 2009. Durp’s just stopped riding but there’s still hope he’ll remember…

The air was warm, my mood a bit gray, as I turned to the west and went past the old Red Roof Inns HQ. I don’t know what business occupies that beautiful space now, but back in the day, I would walk in the clean, crisp, cedar building and a young Bobby Rahal, and a cancer free (at the time) Jim Trueman would be playing racquetball and the place was buzzing. Red Roof Inns was one of CompuServe’s biggest clients back then and I recall having so much fun being a part of it. As I pedaled over I-270 the gray monster came into view. CompuServe had started in Arlington, but by the late 90’s we had to move outside the outer belt to create space for the commercial division. The building sports a Verizon logo now. I looked at the corner and recalled so many funny moments hanging with friends in that very sterile looking space. I wonder how much they laugh in there now…

By now I was on the other side of Hilliard and turned to the north – headed for home. As I cruised downwind toward Dublin, my mind wandered to all the bike rides taken when this was pure country. Progress has filled in the fields. Turning left on Industrial parkway, I glanced to my left at the huge open field and thought of K-Dev coming soon. Hard to believe, we’ve been making memories since 2010. Crazy how time flies, my mind wandered and wondered.

I turned to the east and cruised by LA’s old Church and remembered all the early coaching beside him and being there when his brothers betrayed him. My heart hurt again just recalling. Cruising downhill/downwind with big ole Cardinal Health on my right, I remembered sitting in their lobby being told that they loved our work, just not my jeans or my worldview. My first, good firing. I smiled and waved as the wind just blew me on bye. A couple more turns and I was in downtown Powell cruising by my good friend, Downers place of work. I called him on my mobile and told him to look out his window as I sped past. He waved, sort of. More like a single finger salute. I laughed, really laughed, at what a ride it’s been. Cyclotherapy is good for the soul, I kept thinking. My mind wondered as my bike and I wandered instead of worried. Wonder. Wander. No worries. So many good memories. So much to recall. It was a grateful ride. Good.

It was a great ride and it wasn’t planned. Yeah, today too..