My head has been a little full of stresses the last month or so, sometimes life can get on top of you a bit….work, finances, lingering flus and colds. The minutiae of everyday living that seems to be throwing itself at you relentlessly at times. So last Sunday we threw our mountain bikes onto the newly welded, and no longer rattling, bike rack and headed up to Whistler. Gorgeous day, perfect riding weather in the low 20’s with mostly sun the entire time. There are some great trails hidden away around Lost Lake, techy enough to challenge, steep enough to get you breathing heavily and flowy enough to get up a bit of speed. White Gold Traverse, Pinocchio’s Furniture (lots of wood, duh), The Torture Never Stops, Grand Wazoo, all fun stuff. And the smell of the air – pine scented, aromatic and oxygenated – it felt like our lungs were being scrubbed inside out. Seeing the lichen hanging off trees is heartening to me, a sign of some health in the air, a small escape from pollution. Pushing up White Gold Traverse my legs felt strong, but I could barely speak as I caught my breath. Sometimes I wonder how I ever get up any hill, ever, and at other times I feel as if I could tackle anything. Feeling physically in harmony is elusive, remembering those moments even more so. It takes an effort of will to recall it in the midst of feeling run down, sore and tired.

Fun Trails

Remembering how it feels though is key to getting out there. No epic ride going on here but good enough to work off a few extra pounds that seem to have crept onto the waistline, how did that happen? Over three hours of riding later we made our way back down the highway – tired in that great post exercise way – headed back to the next week of work but with a better frame of mind to tackle it with.