The Perfect Training Partner

 

The alarm to get up goes off at 4am, not in the mood to get up this early on a Saturday to train. You made me promise I would get up and go for a long ride this morning.

Out the door at 545am, I tell you it is too cold to go for a ride, you tell me put some socks on and not to worry about a long sleeve shirt, we will warm up on the ride.

Riding straight into the headwind on the early spring morning, I tell you I hate all this wind and am tired of riding into the wind every day. You tell me to be quiet and pedal because all this riding into the wind will pay off this summer during race season.

I put my head down to get into a good aero position in dead silence enjoying the feel of being on the bike. You make just enough noise to make me look up just in time to change my line to miss a huge pothole.

We make a turn and head back the way we came. With a perfect tailwind, I push hard and fast on the pedals and start to drop other riders. I feel you touch me, you humble me by reminding me  how I was having a hard time staying up the group before we made the turn.

I look around and do know where we are, been riding for a couple hours and not sure where we turned the wrong the direction. You look around and start leading me in a new direction and several minutes later we are back on a familiar road.

I tell you how I hate riding through town to get to the other side, to ride out on the west side of the county. You tell me to relax and ride the four miles as a warm-up for the day’s training ride.

I talk and talk the entire ride most every day, and you just listen and offer little bits of great advice.

I get on the bike in the morning with just two water bottles, I say it’s going to be a short day. You remind me to always take all four bottles just in case, and I did. We ended up riding more miles, and I needed them.

I underestimated the heat of the day. I take all four bottles, but I’m not sure if i will have enough to make it home. You tell me to go right, add five miles and go through the next town’s baseball park to get water at the fountain.

Thank you dear God for riding with me.