No, I won’t be singing for you (you can put the earmuffs down). Instead, since we’re still in the get-to-know-you period of this particular blog-lationship, I wanted to tell you a little about myself by combining two of my favorite things. Nothing gets me more pumped up for having some fun in the outdoors than listening to just the right tunes as I lace up my boots.
For each of my outdoor interests listed below, I have chosen a musical artist to help me convey what the sport means to me. Crank up the stereo and limber up, because here we go.
Road Biking – The Eagles
To borrow a line from Geo, the dear friend who introduced me to the world of spandex and saddle sores, “I hope that cycling can be my golf.” Cycling is a blast right now, but my hope is that it will still be fun for me in another 30 years too. After the cockpit of my kayak becomes to small for me to climb into without 3 assistants and a jar of mayonnaise… after “climbing” becomes my term for going upstairs… after the technology in my synthetic knees becomes more sophisticated than the technology in my mountain bike… after all of my dearest hobbies have left me, I hope I can still get out on the bike.
The Eagles are the same way. The first CD that I ever owned was an Eagles CD that my big brother gave me for my 12th birthday. There’s something about a classic. It just doesn’t wear out. I still love the Eagles, and I probably always will.
Road biking has a Zen quality – the silence of a perfectly tuned machine; the sensation of the wind, heavy with the aromas of the season, the concentration as your peripheral vision dims and you push yourself just a little harder… Zen.
At least until you pass some eviscerated forest creature on the side of the road.
Kayaking – Of Monsters and Men
It’s the flavor of the week. I know. But I desperately hope for it to be something that lasts. How long will my shoulders put up with what it takes to roll in white water? I’m not sure. Will I ever learn to start down the river without forgetting the keys to the takeout vehicle? Again, no promises. But I hope so.
