A very Good Friday

For the second year in a row, I've been on vacation Good Friday whilst the kids have to go to school as a make up for snow days over the winter.  I planned to take advantage of this some time ago with a buddy of mine, we'd ride about 50 miles to Bloomington and meet our wives for a lunch date whilst the kids were in school - this year the Easter weekend coincided with the Kentucky Derby Half Marathon which is the focus of my training in an attempt to set a new PR.
To avoid tired legs on Saturday, the ride to Bloomington was much more leisurely than normal.  The slower pace, actually trying not to try hard, combined with a beautiful spring morning and great conversation found me reconnecting with the child-like joy of riding my bike to get somewhere, just for fun.  In a life with continuous pressures on time, I end up feeling that every moment I get to ride or run has to contribute to the training objectives.  I enjoy working hard and feeling my body responding to the training but the focus & intensity can get in the way of the magical pleasure of being outside, enjoying the world moving by at a pace dictated solely by personal propulsion.  I realize that I need to do more of this to prevent things getting stale, making space for just fun as opposed to training activities will be a priority in my plans for the rest of the year.

Lake Lemon - South Shore Drive on Good Friday