New is the New Old

I've been riding the roads around Morgan Hill, CA for about 2.5 weeks now. I've also gone a little north into San Jose, and have ridden one of the local climbs (Eureka Canyon). I've experienced the Lunch Ride several times, and have started to internalize that it's not so much that people get dropped because they're slow; people get dropped because most of the guys are soooo fricking fast. There are headwinds and descents and all of the things I wrote about at the start. Nothing has changed.

Except me.

First off, I no longer even bring my Garmin along. I have no earthly idea how many miles or how long I ride each day. I can guess at my heart rate, but only from experience.

Second off, I feel like I'm becoming a braver rider. On the lunch ride, even though I still am usually spit off super early due to dumb mistakes, I feel myself getting a touch more aggressive each time. I stand up and attack the climbs. I try to match the accelerations, even if I can't. I'm getting better at riding WITH a pack, better at turning, and MUCH better at descending.

Third off, riding is now a part of my everyday routine. I don't wake up, ride for 2 hours, and then do nothing for the rest of the day. I ride into work, ride during work, and ride home from work, heck, even ride to the restaurant where people are gathering for dinner. I'm also running again (up to 20 minutes) and I definitely plan on doing more of it. Riding isn't some odd offshoot that only a small handful of acquaintances participate in. I WORK at a BIKE COMPANY. If that doesn't sum it up right there, nothing will.

Fourth off, nothing is a novelty anymore. Even the odd smells (what IS IT?? Garlic? Mushrooms? Weed?) are no longer jarring; they are expected. I'm starting to plan my rides around the wind. I'm looking forward to the bomb down Willow instead of double fisting it like I did during my interview here at Specialized. I climb it in the big ring. It's just the way it is.

Fortunately, I'm not so horrible jaded that I still don't appreciate two things:

The astounding beauty of the place

and

how unbelievably lucky I am to have landed here.

I mean...getting used to the anticipation of fantastic roads? Getting used to the amalgamation of bikes and everyday life? Getting used to going with the flow?

I hope I never get used to being so thankful for all of that.