Early...

via golikeafox.com
It's just before 6:00 am...
I think I just shut off my alarm, but I'm to tired to realize it. My pillow begs me to stay, but I crawl out of bed and make my way through the darkness. I find my way into my workout cloths; it's complicated somehow in the dark. Can't think yet...maybe I'm brushing my teeth...I truly can't say. I never turn on any lights when I'm up this early because then my body would have to commit to being awake. I unhook my bike from it's stand and make my way to the front door. I steady my two wheel transport with one hand and open the door to my apartment. The florescent lights from the hallway come screaming in...it's blinding. I can't remember what I am doing for a moment. As I make my way down the stairs my body and mind beg me to return to the sanctity of my bed. But I can't, I must...go to the park. I gotta be ready to ride 42 miles.
I open the front door to my apartment building and immediately feel the cool air from a world that is not yet awake. Nothings up yet, it's almost silent. There are no bird chirping or city clanking sounds. In the distance though, a low bass hums for the incoming commuter traffic can almost be heard. I walk my bike to the park in the dark. I don't have lights on my bike yet, so I can't risk riding the streets when it's before dawn. I wonder past the tired shop keeper opening his store. He notices me for a moment and then returns to his ritual of pushing up the store gates.
I arrive at the park and wonder what I am doing there. I am "cold and tired and this is hard." I stand next to the bike path for a minute. The night is just moving on and the black sky is turning a deep blue. I get on my bike and start to peddle slowly. I don't go very fast to start. I have to build into a ride, especially when I am this tired. The park is an odd place at this hour. It's trees seem spooky and beautiful all at the same time; the branches stretch like fingers weaving shadowy puzzles on the park bike path. I get to get to the first turn of the park still moving very slow. But an odd feeling soon comes over me. Some faint noise clicks somewhere nearby. The sound seem to echo from everywhere. I stop peddling for a moment and listen. All at once four bikers in matching outfits zip past me. They are so fast, almost like mist in the air. They are one with their bikes, like a mechanical Centaurs. They move in perfect sync down the path. They seem driven and brilliant blazing away from me. They are not like me, they didn't need to force themselves to wake up early.
I am starting wake now, heading up a giant hill in the park. I gotta get up this hill. I gotta get past being tired. My legs go from tight and weak to fluid and strong. My speed starts to pick up even as the path angle gets steeper. My arms tense and my eyes focus as I reach the precipice of the hill. At the top and the sun final comes up. It's beam cuts through the dark sky and somehow there are more people gliding down the hill with me. They are tired from pushing themselves up the hill, but they have the look of utter satisfaction from their accomplished. Their not fancy in their attire and their bikes are just two wheels like mine, nothing special. They ride and we ride. It's 6:45am and I may have to go to work at some point, but another loop around the park is all I can think about.

continue Go Like A Fox
-Ben