the lapsed rider

In the ski industry (once upon a time, I had a job...), there is a term for people that haven't skied in a while; "lapsed skier." Most of the time, the reason for the lapse is kids and family.

I guess you could say I'm a "lapsed biker." I've barely ridden for two years; I went on a few road rides last year, and not one mountain bike ride. Now, in the past few weeks, I've ridden several hundred miles and the addiction is once again coursing through my veins. Seriously, I get a tick if I haven't ridden, and all I can think about is my next ride. Total junkie.

Biking is the only thing I can do as an adult that fully brings me back to being a kid (well, that and swinging - I love hopping on a swing), and I love that.

I forgot how good the burn can feel (seriously, it's a weird combination of ecstasy and agony), and how amazing it is to reach the top of a climb, look down, and think, "I was just there!" Then, of course, there's the downhill. There really isn't much in life that's more fun than hauling ass down a mountainside gripping the bars of a bike.

My appetite has shot up and I'm eating ... well, I'm probably eating like a normal person (if normal people inhale Powerbars and swill Hammer Gel during the day), but it sure feels like a lot. Although, a healthy appetite is not the best thing when you're unemployed. Makes it hard to buy the food your body wants to eat!

Most lapsed skiers result from having kids and not having the time to ski anymore, nor the inclination to spend the money needed to take a family skiing. While a large part of my lapse is the result of having kids, another factor was my job working nights. Which is funny, because a big part of why I accepted the job in the first place was because I felt that it would give me more time to ride. I was wrong. As it turned out, I had less time to ride (uhhh... I was sleeping), and when I was awake, I just didn't have the energy.

Oh well. None of that matters. I'm unemployed now and can ride as much as I want (he says with a nervous grin on his face...). Think I'll go for a ride in the morning.