Well, I did go biking today. It’s the first since December 6, the day of the Totally No Good Awful Let’s Never Repeat Mosquito unpleasantness.

One of the numerous waterfalls.

The route took me along beautifully forested NY backroads with too many creeks to count, originating at Mettabee Farm, in which and simultaneously Mme Awesome was in a Five Rhymes class. These were a lot of other cyclists out there too, and I saw even more as I relaxed in the bus; this mix of lightly travelled, well maintained dirt and paved sections must be where the non suicidal bikers flock.

The view from where we slept, including the territorial rooster.

By the way, I wish I had thought about getting dance instruction when I was in jr high. Mme Awesome can dance and copying her is so much more groovy and enjoyable than my tigger impersonation.

That bit of running is still being felt. What to do? I’m good at shutting down and basicly not not moving, like a full tilt recovery setting. Or perhaps catatonic is more accurate. My de facto response to fatigue.

And yet what about active rest? Frankly, I’ve yet to have an unusually quick recovery from engaging in what I summarize as active rest: even easier and of course shorter. Instead, during the periods of experimentation, I’ve found I feel more tired and sore.

Now the best cure for slow recovery has come from, don’t laugh, being in better shape. To be sure, I am currently super sore. However, I’m doing stuff I’ve purposely avoided or been unable to do in a maintainable manner for an honestly long period of time. Time enough for systemic atrophy of fibers and neural pathways. Point being I must be patient. I think I’m at my 7th grade strength and fitness level, though I’m probably 60 lbs heavier.

Was today’s ride active rest? I did end moving much better than when I departed. If i feel good tomorrow, does that mean I’d have felt super without? How complex. 🤔

More importantly, all in all it was fun and that’s nice; I finally got to spend time leaning the bike into turns, hopping which is hopefully going to ultimately make possible ascending in places where I currently hike a bike or more often than not don’t clear, and even a couple bunny hops right at the end. 🙂

We are in Massachusetts tonight. When route 23 crossed the boarder, the number and variety of speed limit signs ballooned. The 25 to 20 to 35 to 40 to 25 in a few hundred yards kind of sickness.