Labor of Love

Eleven days ago I turned thirty years old.  This is just a number, but to a surprising number of friends, family members, and acquaintances, this is a fairly significant number (which is not the same thing as significant figures).  I was repeatedly asked how it feels, which to be honest, wasn't different at all.  Unfortunately, as much as I would like the opinions and thoughts of others to not impact my thoughts and opinions of myself, it seems almost unavoidable.  Whether from media or loved ones, the subconscious is incredibly vulnerable to persistent messages.

In order to combat these messages I developed a couple strategies, one of which, and the purpose of this blog, being to ride a bicycle everyday for one year.

I have committed to a number of monthly challenges in the past.  Some of which were successful, others I've come up short.  Success in this challenge is not in riding 365 consecutive days, as I will likely fail, but to make a concerted effort to participate in activities that make me feel young in mind, body, and spirit.  Cycling is simply the most easily identifiable of these activities to date.


Day 1:
Today I rode my fixed Tommasso approx 15 miles up and down the Monon, first to the Indy Hostel and then to HopCat, a new eatery/drinkery featuring 130 brews on tap.  Rain threatened consistently, but the day ended up being pretty nice.  After an elaborate scavenger hunt for Deep Eddy and drinks with a new friend, it was time to return home just before dusk.

Indy Hostel - photo by tripadvisor.com

HopCat "Crack Fries" (not as good as actual crack) - photo by Indystar.com

Weather will certainly be a concern for this challenge, but a bigger challenge will be my own motivation and ability to look past set backs.

Dirty Thirty

Friends enjoying Mario Kart 64 at my 30th bday bash.  There was also beer.

Tour de Upland

Monument Circle to Rancho Framasa.  Great ride, better weekend!

Photo credit, CT.  Not pictured, CT

The boys window shopping.

500

This is how Paul and I spent each weekend in May.  Never worked so hard.  Beer never tasted so good.

Happy Cranksgiving!

Early Saturday morning 6 friends set out to endure freezing temperatures and pedaling turkeys to help end community hunger.  Cranksgiving was a fun and active event where participants biked to several locations around the city collecting food which would then be donated to hunger relief programs.  It was cold and also fun!

Courtney, Kayla, Scott, Dan, Paul, and Tom with kale bouquets. 

Bicycle Brewery Tour

35 miles, 9 hours, 5 breweries, 4 friends

A:  Home

Sun King Osiris growler

B: Black Acre Brewing Co.

burrito by Dyke, Citra Pale Ale

C: Fountain Square Brewery

Soul Ride IPA

D: Indiana City Brewing Co.

Yacht Rock Wheat Ale

E: Flat 12 Bierworks

Kiwi Kiwi Crystal Weis

F: Triton Brewing Co.

Railsplitter IPA

G: Home

Paul, Scott, Jake, and Courtney enjoying stadium seating at Indiana City

Our whips resting at Fountain Square Brewery.

"You're taking that pretty aggressively." CT

Mile High 4th of July

Celebrating the 4th with a road trip to Denver was amazing!  Here's what we learned:

-The weirder the name, the cooler the brewery.
-BIGS Sunflower Seeds are made in  and distrubuted out of Denver.  For $2 outside the stadium, sea salt and black pepper is the baseball treat of choice.
-Cyclists do NOT wear helmets.  At all.  The only rational I could come up with is that the perpetual light headedness people experience from living at 5,280 feet above sea level causes the head to fall slower than the rest of the body.  Therefore, like a cat landing on its feet, the head floats gracefully to the ground following a bicycle fall.
-Pot is not 'legal' in the sense of being able to buy it in stores or smoke it on the street. 
-Things being more expensive for out-of-towners is not exclusive to Asia.  (First time fee of $16 dollars for 2 bikes for 1/2 hour.  At least next time it's free)
-Parents can take their kids to do cool things like watch the Avett Brothers at Red Rocks.  Treat them like adults but play with them like children.
-Good friends are hard to find.  Best friends, damn near impossible.

LB and me watching the Rockies stomp the Dodgers

Coors Field 4th of July fireworks!

Avett Brothers sharing the stage with Elvis and The Beatles

Love on the rocks... ain't no big surprise.