Get me bodied

Blogging from your phone presents unique challenges and opportunities.

It’s harder and yet also easier. I can do it anywhere but I get sore thumbs.

At the very least, you dear reader may benefit as I may get to the point. I am, however very patient and a quick texter so maybe not.

I digress.

Let’s introduce the star of this post.

Katherine.

Katherine is a star because, while I was sending poor Mr B into a Ted Hughes bout of introspection, Katherine was helping me find focus and joy – because she took me mountain biking this morning.

Don’t get astonished. I’m rarely seen wearing utility clothing and even more rarely seen wearing elbow pads. But me, my Sunday sleep-in attitude and borrowed sporty car made it to Daisy Hill this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed. Because, following the oblique advice of Mr B, I am focussing, grasshoppers. And I want to ride more – often and joyfully. That’s my focus. Or one at least. (nb focus grasshopper!)

And I tell you. There is no prettier helmet than the helmet being worn but a happy soul. And I was a happy soul today.

Early car park laps at Daisy Hill were uninspiring, as I awkwardly tried to acclimatize to the wide handlebars, the low feeling of the seat, the bounce of suspension and THE GEARS. Katherine then “recommended” that I wore her elbow pads. And had my legs been skinner, I’d have been “recommended” to wear her knee pads too.

Friends of Katherine approached us at the car park and it looked like my worst nightmare was emerging – I was going to have to learn a new thing on front of strangers. I’m hopelessly self-conscious trying to master physical activities in front of others … It’s why I suck at team sports.

Eventually, however, these friendly people left and Katherine and I were away. Those who don’t live in Brisbane won’t care for my trail description and those who do probably already know Daisy Hill just fine. Suffice to say – I’ve found a new reason to go to Logan and it’s way more fun than Ikea.

To avoid RSI, I’ll just mention 5 things I remembered while riding with the lovely Katherine in no real order.

1. I hate bushwalking, but I love being in the bush. I love riding. Why have I not gotten into mountain bike riding sooner? (Oh yeah, I’m trying to avoid buying a new bike.) Time to problem solve.

2. You really don’t need to be terribly technically proficient to ride a single speed. Well, I don’t. Not for riding the minute commute to Milton. Maybe that’s why I’ve been in bike doldrums, I’m practically at a spin class my ride is so dull. I barely have even a corner to turn let alone a log to jump.

3. Gears are really kind of fun. Up and down and up and down and up and down and how come Led Zepplin’s Kashmir is in my head? Look – a wallaby! Trees! Wooshing past trees!

4. My cardiovascular fitness is terrible. But you can fit more in a little car than you think.

5. Mountain biking is a lot like life right now. I need to be okay with things being different. The journey is always way smoother when you don’t focus on the small obstacles ahead but look where you want to go, try to pick a good line, then just commit and enjoy the ride. There will be bumps but if you’re going with them, and you’re not rigid to them, you hardly notice them at all, in fact they feel kind of fun. And man, while a sweet bitumen downhill will let you hit 50km on a single speed, you know you’ve not really challenged yourself, because you’re just coasting. And that which is cheaply won, you do not cherish.

And now I can’t wipe the smile off my face – I can even cope with the fact that I’m at Chermside Apple Store (the waiting room for hell).

And in fact – not only is even just a little bit mountain biking making things tolerable – it’s bringing me goodness in unexpected places. Like the G Star store. Patrick – a long tall drink of water in an unexpectedly fun denim helmet. Can’t say it’s likely to work on a bike – but you have to admit, it’s kind of fun.

And none of this – but none of this – would have been achievable if my laptop had been working, because I’d have been at home sending press releases about the poetry show and hopefully organizing the poetry map.

But it was not to be.

For today, that’s okay by me.