Lent Day 22 (Thursday)

Exercise: Morning - Climbed the stairs at work (approximately 17 floors).  Afternoon- 29 mile bike ride on the swamp rabbit (including Paris Mountain).

Verse:
Psalm 118:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Thoughts: Today was a perfect day to get out and ride.  Sunny and cool enough to not get too warm but warm enough that I didn't need to be wearing a bunch of extra stuff just to get out and ride.  There were more people on the Swamp Rabbit Trail today than there has been, but that has to be expected.  It's great seeing folks using a trail system for all levels of activity.  One of the things I thought about was, strange enough, shoes.  Last summer I replaced the original shoes I had bought a year before for some "name brand" shoes.  I say it this way because if I geek out and said I spent money on Sidi's few folks would understand that it means I bought some rather expensive shoes.  I had convinced myself last year that I was tired of my old ones and that I had beat them up enough in 1 year of riding that I really needed new shoes.  That said, I found my new pair on closeout, and the price was incredible versus retail, but I was already on the prowl for new shoes before I got this particular pair.  Was it really a need, or more of a want?  I come around to this because last week I dusted off my original shoes and got them prepped to be used again as "bad weather" shoes during the cycling season.  This way if there is good chance of wet or muddy conditions, I don't get my expensive shoes wet (or muddy).  I've worn them a couple of times to make sure that the cleats are adjusted right, and that they are going to be okay for the purpose that I have them, and it made me realize that I really like having two pairs of shoes for any given activity.  It's not that it's really necessary  I can and have gotten by with just one pair of shoes, but having the choice is comforting, as well as knowing that if something should happen to one pair I'm not off the bike until I can figure out what I'm going to do.  At some point one my current "bad weather" shoes are going to break, at which time I'll have to decide if I want new good shoes (retiring the Sidi's to bad weather shoes) or to replace the bad weather shoes directly. 

I guess this is just a long windy way of saying that having the items prepared for situations that will make you stumble is a good thing, as long as it is manageable.  There is always the "too much of a good thing" issue to deal with as well.