In Which The Afternoon Adds Up to 40 Miles

Bird in Cedar River seen during my ride. It's pretty far away and the photo a bit funky--I  have not figured out how to make focus work on little Nikon for distant objects.

As I neared the end of the ride, I noticed I was close to 40 miles. It was 37 something as I crossed Blairs Ferry Road on the way home late this afternoon.

I had taken a nap and practiced piano, and then it was 4 in the afternoon and a gorgeous day. My wife was out with a daughter and granddaughter on a “girls’ day out,” so I decided: Bike time!

I was going to ride on the Cedar River Trail. I wasn’t sure whether to go north or south, but I started riding down C Avenue southward and somehow that direction felt good because I was heading into the wind, and I thought heading into the wind was a good strategy—when I turned around, the wind would be more helpful.

I wanted to go to Ely, but it was getting late by the time I go to the edge of Cedar Rapids. I decided that when I reached a bench on the Hoover Trail just a bit south of Cedar Rapids, I would rest a few minutes and turn around.

Francis on Hoover Trail near bench were I briefly rested.

Worn wood of bench where I rested. Just though it looked cool.

I tried to calculate the miles home, I figured the total ride for the day would be about 40.

But the readout on the bike computer was just approaching 38 as I was getting just half a mile from home. So I rode the paved part of the Lindale Trail, and even up and down Teakwood Drive a little.

Still, I was about a tenth of a mile short when I got home, so I rode up the street a bit and then turned back.

As you can see, I managed it, I reached 40 miles for the day.

What I didn’t realize, but discovered after I entered the mileage on my bike log, those 40 miles means I’ve just reached exactly 500 miles for the year.

Second turn around point--end of paved area of Lindale Trail. A shorter rest while I put on sweatshirt--it was getting chillly.