on staying level headed

while your wheels dance through bullshit

What’s it like when you ‘return to the scene of the crime’?

That’s not exactly what I mean…

What happens when you return to a place where you got in trouble, struggled or were in some way defeated?

I had my first ride back in the woods recently.

I took one of my usual, favorite routes here in Lake Charlotte.

The last time I rode this way, it was part of a group ride. On the final ten kilometers of the ride, my eye met a stick and a chunk of wood was lodged in my face for four days.

I was making great time until the stick decided to shake hands with my eyeball.

Then?

Then it all went to shit.

All of the challenging climbs that I still had legs for?

I no longer had the will to grind up.

All of the downhills where I wanted to let go of the brakes and let things flow?

With one eye closed, I lacked depth perception. I was nervous, broken and slow.

So it was great to get out again on that familiar trail.

Only this time?

It felt a bit less familiar, a bit more nerve wracking.

Sure, I would have had more co…