GranFondo

A Gran Fondo awaits. A big ride. Gran Fondo is Italian for "Big Ride." I'm headed to the west coast to ride in Levi Liepheimer's King Ridge Gran Fondo. http://www.levisgranfondo.com/ Wine country. Redwoods. Rocky cliffside beaches. Fog. The ride will take place on a bicycle. A 2 wheeled ship that I will motor and steer around 100 miles of dry, meandering, heavenly pathways through Sonoma County. I will be riding my 63 year old Cannondale Warrior 400r. No, it's not really 63. It's 7, and in terms of how long a person keeps a bike as his/her go-to riding vessel, it's nearing the end of it's career in a starting role. Ride hard my senior warrior.
Rolling Kentucky hills have prepared me medium well. That is to say, I'm not totally done, but am ready nonetheless. What seemed like a very short period of time since finding out that I was even going on this trip has turned into days and days of waiting for the departure to arrive. The final week is here and still it's not even 10 in the morning.
The sun is up, cool air has blown in, and vest and arm warmers, and fingered gloves wait obnoxiously on the dresser. A jumping off point for gear that has made their way from the drawer, so eager to be used that if there is any stall from the rider, they really might jump. Bursting with anger and excitement, they will jump, a material suicide, yelling their urgency and strong desire to go out-of-doors, as I walk not unnoticeingly by them while entering and exiting the room.