Lovely exercise

I have had the good fortune of having two days in a row when I was able to do some significant exercise.

Last Monday I bought a tube and did some repairs on my old 12 speed bike, so I was itching to take it out for a spin. It is a different experience to riding my 21speed-$100-Kmart-"mountain bike"-special. Yesterday, Saturday, I took it out for its first ride for some time. I rode from my place in Sawyers Bay around to McAndrew Bay on the other side of the Otago Harbour and back with one or two diversions along the way. I reckon it was about 55k ride. It was great. The bike is so much lighter to push along the road and so responsive. I felt like I was a teenager again, when I used to hop on my bike and go for long rides by myself. I only intended to ride into town, but was enjoying it so much that I carried on. I got a puncture on my way home, but just took the back wheel off, exchanged the tube, pumped it up and carried on, pleased that I did not have to phone my wife. Even that became a fulfilling part of the adventure.

Today I decided that I would do a walk I had been longing to do for a while. I walked from "the Bullring" over the top of Flagstaff, and on to Swampy Summit and back. I did the whole lot inside of three hours, which for a 61 year old is not bad. At one stage a notice board said, "One and a half hours to Swampy Summit". I walked that distance in three quarters of an hour. We are so lucky in Dunedin. Just ten minutes drive from the centre of town and you can be walking in the midst of tussock, scrub and flax with incredible views all around.  It is miles above the worry line, you are in the open with the feeling of adventure and space. It was a great afternoon.

I had an experience on the way in that made me think. The track to Swampy leads up some very steep hills, then down into gullies and so on. I was climbing up a steep track and was about to stop for a rest. I glanced behind and saw a younger guy in tee shirt and shorts gaining on me. You may have gathered that I don't like accepting old age, so my competitive spirit kicked in and I was going to make him work if he was going to pass me. I dug in, chest heaving, walking stick pushing me up and legs pumping. There was no time to stop now. I reached the top of the hill and looked back. I could not see him? "Oh" I thought, "He must be just around that corner." I headed down the hill feeling pleased that I had beaten him to the top, and taking big strides to get as far in front as I could. I reached the bottom of the gully and looked back up the hill. He wasn't there at all! He must have stopped and turned back shortly after I first saw him! There was no need for that burst of speed. I could have ambled up the hill and taken rests, or stopped to take photos. I wasn't being chased at all! I think there are times like that in life. We are "driven" by what we think other people are thinking of us. We think people are judging our performance. We think someone may be critical of us or think we are slack. So we drive ourselves. We feel under pressure. But if truth be told, when we look back there really is no one being critical or judgmental. All we see is the shadow of our own insecurities chasing us. Anyway I had a wee laugh at myself. Stupid old man trying to be competitive??? I enjoyed my afternoon in the tussock, wind and hills.

Photos:

1. My old 12 speed
2. The tower on the horizon from about half an hour in on the track.
3. The Swampy Summit tower close up.
4. The return track, part way home.
5. Below... "All we see is the shadows of our own insecurities."