Long Flat Ride

Joy here...One of my dad's favourite wines is a Cabernet Sauvignon by an Australian vineyard called "Long Flat."  I think he just likes to be able to order a "long flat red" without being overly specific or wine-snobby at a restaurant, since he's really a country boy at heart and all the mumbo-jumbo about wines (chilled or room temperature, with meat or fish, light or heady bouquet etc.) freaks him out, but he doesn't want to admit it.  And I will say that on his recommendation, I've tried a glass (or three) of his ever-favoured long flat red, and so in honour of good wine and good times, today's ride is my "Long Flat" ride!

It helps that it really was a long, flat ride.

Since it was a holiday today, part of the August Long Weekend (known by many Canadians affectionately as "August Long"), we decided to celebrate our August Long with a Long Flat.

Do you follow me?

Well follow me and follow the others you would have had you been out there in the hot, humid summer day.  Five of us pulled out our cycling kit, wiped off our bikes from yesterday's loop in the park, and headed out the door at 10am for an easy ride along the Ottawa River Path and then onto the Aviation Parkway, a route I hadn't ridden since the very first, snowy ride of this season way back in April.

The long, flat road.

We pedalled and enjoyed the burn in our legs as we loosened up those leg muscles that are more used to the pressure of climbing hills in the park rather than finding a nice, solid cadence over a flat road.  And before we knew it, it was noon and time for us to break for lunch.  One of the "sisterhood" who couldn't make it for the ride met up with us for lunch, daughter in tow.  So the five of us cyclists, plus the other two sat beneath the umbrella at the coffee shop and had a visit and some food.  And I can't think of a better way to spend August Long.

The cycling path through the trees.

In fact, it's been a long long time since long weekends were something special for me.  You see, I mainly work from home and make my own hours.  I love the flexibility and freedom that this offers.  And I love being accountable to myself first and foremost.  But what I miss is that special feeling of a "free day" that comes with a long weekend when you suddenly have a day where you are not accountable to your boss, and you can do what you want.  Since I'm my boss, and I'm always around, I never get that feeling that I'm having a "free day," but today when I was out with my friends on a lovely summer day, I let myself just enjoy the long, flat ride as a "free day" where I didn't think about my giant "to do" list waiting for me at home.  Instead, I just thought about the sun on my back, the wind on my cheeks, and the rhythm of my pedal strokes.

And this evening when I made dinner, I was sure to pour myself a nice, tall glass of red wine.

A much-deserved post-ride treat.

And I don't think that there is any better way to top a long, flat ride to close out August Long than with a glass of Long Flat.

Over and out,

Joy