Out With The Old, In With The New

I would first like to put in a few good words for the old gal that got me through so much and traveled with me halfway across the United States to this wonderful land called Seattle. I’m speaking about my old bike for those of you who may be thinking I’m weird. Now it is true that my old bike was falling apart and not performing like it once did, which is partly due to my lack of knowledge with bike maintenance. Back to the point…we have been through a lot together. While living in Chicago she was my escape from all the emotional trauma that I went through with an old girlfriend. She traveled with me to Minnesota where I rode around Minneapolis and said my goodbye’s to the good old spots like Lake Harriet and Minnehaha falls. She was with me while biking through Fargo, ND with my good friend Lauren. She traveled with me through North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. She was the reason that allowed me to meet one o my closest friends in Seattle. She got me to work on time and kept my beer belly down. She was my ride in my very first triathlon. She was my ride in my very first bike race (STP). To sum it up I had a lot of firsts with my old bike and she will always have a special spot in my heart. HOWEVER like all women they just get old after awhile, fall apart, and sometimes you need to trade them in for a younger and hotter body (yikes, i'm going to regret saying that one).

My new TREK finally came in the mail and the day it came I was not able to open it because I

was working my 24 hour shift and wouldn't be home until the next day. Anticipation was high on March 17th as I sat at my patients house looking at the UPS tracking online with the final message saying "Delivered". It was almost within my reach, however I would have to wait and extra day. The next morning I woke up, finished my work, and headed home to find the box of the bike sitting at my front door. I opened it up and it was beautiful! However, it was also in pieces and I was a little intimated at first as i've never put a bike together before. I was determined to ride that day so I got over my fears, thought back to my childhood of building legos, and grabbed the wrench to first attach the back tire. Through some miracle the pieces came together.

Ry showed up later that morning and we attached both of our odometers. You can see the excitement in Ry's face...

We headed out to our usual "standard" spot and kept to the tradition of Ry needing to use the bathroom before heading out. It was a beautiful day for a ride...a bit chilly, but it was sunny and clear with some amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades. We took off! The new bike was like a hot knife running through butter. I felt significantly faster and my breaks and gears actually worked. The bike was also a lot more comfortable, minus the seat.

It was a great start for the season and I look forward to the many challenges that lie ahead. 10,000 miles here we come!

-Jason