One of Those Rides . . .

Anyone who has ever been to Northwest Ohio knows it is as flat as a pancake. Well today the land set out to show me otherwise. I took a bike ride today that really kicked my butt. Normally I bike about 4 miles out to the Oakwoods NaturePreserve, where I slip off my shoes and let my feet soak in the quarry for a bit before I bike the 4 miles back to my apartment. For some reason I decided to take another route today that took me on some of the old roads I used to frequent as a high schooler. My route:

Only 7.3 miles . . . but I kid you not, the entire trek was uphill. If I could draw how it felt, it would be like one of those M.C. Escher drawings that never ends.

M.C. Escher's Ascending and Descending (thanks to tentblogger.com for the crop)

Despite my quads burning wildly afterward, and my being certain I had gone at least 50 miles, I felt very accomplished and proud even when I calculated the distance on Google Maps.

Today's Ride Playlist:

My Girls by Animal Collective

Tangled by Maroon 5

Hello by Beyonce

Ghost of a Good Thing by Dashboard Confessional

Eskimo by Damien Rice

Play Crack The Sky by Brand New

Who Will Save Your Soul by Jewel

Kingdom Come by The Civil Wars

No Sunlight by Death Cab for Cutie

We Intertwined by The Hush Sound

Chicago by Sufjan Stevens

Thoughts on hills: After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
Nelson Mandela