May Day Cruise

A bright morning. First day in shorts. A slight headwind. I'm sailing to work, with the dreamy scent of magnolias guiding my way. I think about planting that heavenly tree in our yard. Do we have enough room? What color would I get?

And before I know it, I arrive at my workplace.

I snack all morning. At lunchtime, I eat a big meal. Ramen, egg, carrot, two ears of corn on the cob. Mid-afternoon apple. Clearly, my appetite has increased. I drink water and tea all day long. By the time I go home I'm hydrated enough to make up for lack of water bottle that I promise to bring on the next ride.

I float home. Sweating. Still breath of warm air. Even with an extra load on the rear rack: two heads of lettuce, 3 pounds of carrots, 6 ears of corn, a dozen eggs to balance my loaded front panniers, I have energy to spare. I pump up hills. Stable steering. Reminds me of touring. Can I fit in another bike overnight this June? Strong. Wave to passing skinny, university team cyclists. Lift fingers off the handle bars in salute.

I pull into the driveway in record time. Prop bike against house. Unload produce. Give to husband who's already put a pot of water on to boil for our first corn of the year. Er, my second round anyway.

Right on schedule, 3 weeks of commuting gains my cycling fitness back. A May Day celebration.