I finally got out of the house! By myself! As I said before, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been able to really mountain bike. It used to be my favorite way to start the weekend. For the first time in a long time, the opportunity presented itself. My lovely wife told me that I could break away this Saturday morning to go ride as long as I was back before breakfast. She didn’t have to tell me twice.
The View of the Grasslands From Above
I set my alarm for 5:30am and was out the door by 6. The sun hadn’t even come up by the time I hit the trailhead and I was the second one there. (The first guy looked like he slept in his car. Awesome idea!)
There’s something about being on the MTB trails in the early morning…like the lack of people! The air is fresh, crisp, and unadulterated. If you’re lucky, you can see rabbits, coyotes, and even deer (like I did today!) Although if luck broke my arm or leg, I could come across some wildlife I’d rather not see. Falling lame in the middle of this terrain could quickly turn you from biker to breakfast for SoCal‘s largest land predator, the mountain lion. I crossed my fingers that I was too skinny for any cougar to waste his time on. I definitely wasn’t too fast for one.
Ahh, No One Around For Miles
As I rode today, I reminisced about my past. Years ago, well before baby and wife, I would ride for hours on the weekends and do nothing more important than find my next meal. Those were the days before I met responsibility. Obviously, things have changed. Responsibility and I have every meal together now. Like the skin on my body, we know each other well. But, this morning I left the house before responsibility arose. My reward? I got to reenact a portion of my previous life for a brief couple of hours.
2 hours alone on my bike was just the ticket for me to recharge and put things in perspective again. I cleared my head as quickly as the trees blurred past. Afterwards, I felt like myself again. But, not like my old self sans responsibility. Like my new self, complete with obligation and duty. Because in truth, my previous life that I experienced this morning was a likeness in emotion only. Nothing more. I can’t turn back time, nor do I want to. I love my wife. I love my son. I love my commitments and occupation as a husband and a new father. And I couldn’t wait to get back to them and share a nice family breakfast together.
If you are in the San Diego area and you enjoy nature, the Mission Trails Regional Park is a nice place to visit. There are tons of hiking, biking and horseback riding to do. The visitor center is kid friendly and if you’re teaching your little one to mountain bike, the Grasslands part of the park is a great place to start!
For more information about the park, see the link below.
For more information about mountain biking in San Diego:
Me vs. Gavin 
Congratulations on your morning sojourn! Sounds like it worked out so well for you and your family. I had hobbies, too, before I had children. And it is only recently that I am trying to bring some of them back into my life. As I’m finding — this is vitally important! These moments of “me” time.
I took my bike out of cold storage last week, prompted by a warm spell here in the Northeast. The shape no longer works for me, after a decade and a half of growing and changing, so I’m hunting down a replacement. With my kids, I walk, hike, rollerblade, and follow them on foot when they’re on their bikes and scooters. But I think, for me, I would so enjoy the sheer freedom of heading out on a bike ride all by myself.
You’re right! “Me” time is extremely important. Otherwise, you start to lose pieces of yourself. For me, I’ve seen too many parents start to “disappear” after children came into the picture. I don’t want to set that example for my kids…
Good luck with the bike search! Hopefully you’ll be able to get out on the bike by yourself one day! But, until then, I think you’re having a great time getting exercise with the family!
Thanks for the interest in my blog!