I waited and waited and waited for the promised E Mail to come, which would allow my entry. This was next year,I can bypass the lottery . When it did not I wrote them and got some ridiculous response along the lines of "the server went down". So at that point I pretty much had decided that I would forgo the ride. I would also forgo volunteering, given the degree of care they had for the volunteers. My early Spring calendar suddenly had all kinds of wonderful opportunity, sleep late on weekends was at the top of that list. As it turned out they again raised the price, ditched the lottery and had not sold out immediately.
Making my decision easy was the idea that I would not have to work at getting into shape . As one gets older getting into shape becomes a lot more involved. My compatriots whose ages hover just below the 60 line have no idea what a remarkable step off a cliff it is in the physical ability area when you step over the six decade line. I have tried to tell them , but they are skeptics and they are deniers of the worst sort, for they say things like "Oh, good there is another hill", or "I don't have time to practice , it interferes with skiing"
They have no idea that hands can cramp just from holding a pen the wrong way. Or that getting up off the floor must be done in a manner that insures there is a grab object for support nearby. The snap crackle pop is not a bowl of Rice Krispies, but rather the knees at the start of a day.
The other reason for my decision was the cost. The cost has increased over the years, to the point that the bib fee, the convenience charge, the tolls, parking, and miscellany makes it about a minimum of $150 dollar cost for the ride. That alone started me thinking that it might be time to give it up and go out for a nice meal, one with a lot of calories, with ice cream for desert.. I am not a cheapskate, but the idea of spending $150 on myself for anything really strains a mindset that has been formed by the idea of tuition. $150 of mad money is 6 Friday dinners for my wife and I. Of course that is at the diner , but that is another story. The point being that the ride was no longer a bang for the buck, it was fun and all that, but it was kind of crazy crowded and there are other rides that need to be done. I need to return to the C&O Canal Towpath. I need to ride the GAP, the Greenbrier, the Katy, the Pinecreek trails. I am not so sure I need to ride NY Five Borough again.
So yesterday I went out on my bike, it was 29 degrees and dark when I left home, I rode for a few miles. I was in bed at 9:30 last night. This ought to be interesting.