Windy Training Day

Well after a week of running and just one spin class, it was a little hard to get started on this Saturday morning. Cloudy, cool, and threatening to rain was the excuse that I needed to sit and enjoy that extra cup of morning coffee and work my way through the paper. It soon was apparent that it was a good decision as it started sprinkling about 8:45. After a 30 min. break where I again began to think it might hold off, down came the cats and dogs. My thinking? Get caught up on those little projects around the house that keep getting put off...rollout shelves in the kitchen cabinets, laundry, etc. After a coule of hours of this I looked outside and it was bright, sunny, and dry. Did it really just rain? I almost couldn't tell. So I donned my gear and headed out for the lake. Where I live, it is about a 9.5 mile ride to White Rock Lake. So I can pretty much tailor my rides at the 10 mile intervals. Not feeling up to a long ride I started off with the mindset that I would just do a short lap or two and head on home to get more done around the house. I'm not sure what it was that changed that game plan, maybe the slightly cooler weather or the difference in the wind direction, but the same old route seemed a little different. Usually when the weather turns I have a little better fitness than I do this year and therefor I would be out riding int he country or on other organized rallies or have put the bike up for the year. Anyway this change from the weather that I am so used to changed my outlook. I just kept coming around for another lap feeling good and convincing myself to do one more lap. By the end, I had completed a good 70 miles. The wind made it a very hard workout, but I felt proud of myself for pushing that far on a day that I didn't want to ride at all. Now, about the lake....I understand the desire to improve the hike and bike trail around the lake. It helps to beatify the lake. It helps get the casual person out to the lake to enjoy the weather and get good exercise. And the new bridge around the north side of the lake is a fantastic addition to the efforts that they are taking to improve the park. However, the trails are for those who want to walk, jog, skate, or lazily ride around. It is not for the normal athletic biker. The rest of ride the road. So why in their infinite (or lack of ) wisdom did the city of Dallas take te bike lane off of the Mockingbird Bridge? Has anyone ever been on the bridge where it was so highly trafficed that they really need three lanes? I now have to contend with motor vehicle operators that feel the need to express their dominance of weight class. A Lincoln tried to squeeze between me and another vehicle that was overtaking him on the right. I never used to have htat problem when we had the separate lane for cyclists on the bridge. Texas Department of Public Safety states "A bicycle is a vehicle and any person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle, unless it cannot, by its nature apply to a person operating a bicycle." And, "A person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway unless: ...The lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travelside by side." And, yes I have been riding Texas roads for a number of years. Yes, I have come across the stupidity of both driver of motor vehicles and bicyclists alike. But, when are we going to realize that we can Share the Road? Well, enough for today.