I am venturing out on a new path.–

No, that doesn’t quite sound right.

I am taking the road not taken.–

That’s worse.

Well, here’s the thing: for the first time, I’m doing regular cycling training on my own, rather than within the warm, protective embrace of my Team In Training teammates.

Alone time is scary for me.  Like other performers (or so I imagine), I feel real when others reflect me back to me.  I also am much more likely to get out of bed, put on the stretchy pants and go for a bike ride (at least, one that involves hills) if others are counting on me to join them.

But now I’m training for my own event — the first-ever Josh Kornbluth Invitational, a two-day, 200-mile Tour de Berkeley et Environs (I think it’ll be on the weekend of Oct. 29-30) — and I’m actually going out by myself and doing some (for me) serious pedaling.

On yesterday’s ride (map below), as I kept going out into the Berkeley Hills, I felt like Neo eating bite after bite of the Oracle’s cookie (yes, we just re-watched The Matrix) — a little better, a little more in-the-moment, with each bit of road I covered.

Here’s to keeping on keeping on. …

P.S.: You can donate here toward my upcoming ride.