It was time for me to face the truth; I was not the young man I once was. I had let myself go and just didn't feel good anymore, so I decided to change that. I even tried some sit ups. I knew it would take more then that, but I was never one to go to the gym and work out. I had to find something else. A friend at work knew of my struggle and suggested bike riding. I laughed. I was so out of shape I wouldn't make it across the parking lot.
After two weeks I was doing pretty good I thought. I was eating better and had cut back on my drinking some. I was getting better with the sit-ups too, but there wasn't much change. I knew running would kill my shins and knee's, and the gym was still not for me. The bike riding crossed my mind again. I really didn't see how bike riding was going to help me. At least it would be easy to do.
I started to ride every day, not far at first, then further, and further as the days progressed. By now I felt I was ready to go to the park that was near by. I checked out the many trails they had and I found out just how hard they were. The flat trails were good. The dips were fast and the inclines were bad, I had to walk them. So I found my new goal, small it may be, it was mine.
I rode every day before work, building up myself to meet my challenge. The more I rode the better I felt, and my friends could see a change in me also. I got to the point to where I would ride my bike to the park rather then haul it on the bike rack. After a few weeks of riding I started to see the same people everyday while riding. We would nod in passing but I never really took time to talk to them.
Less then a week later was when I saw a new face, or back as it were. She came riding past me in a flash and rode on. She looked very tight in her bike shorts and had long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I knew I would have never caught her, but the thought did cross my mind, as well as other thoughts. As the weeks passed I got leaner and in better shape. I saw the brunette pass me every time. I was closer to keeping up now, but she still would disappear ahead of me. I rode on till I came to a rest point and decided to stop for some water and stretch. Something was off in the trees something moving. Thinking it was a deer, I looked hard to see if it was. It looked more like a person, but there weren't any trails out in that area. Shrugging it off I went on with my ride.
It was about twenty minutes later when I could hear a rider coming up from the rear. As they approached I moved to one side to let them pass as always, but no one came by. I looked over my shoulder to see the brunette that I had seen pass me before. As I turned my eyes back up the trail she came along side of me.
I nodded and said hi, just trying to be polite. She bluntly asked me, "Were you watching me?" That took me by complete surprise so I slowed and stopped. She could see the puzzled look on my face and said again, "Were you watching me back there at the stop?"
Now I was completely stunned, I finally spoke up and told her I did not know what she was talking about. She saw the look in my eyes and knew I was being honest. From my look she realized just how rude she sounded then told me she had gone off the path to be alone and saw someone watching her.
Then it hit me, and I told her that it was me she had seen, I had stopped for a break then saw movement in the trees and thought it was a deer or something. I had no intention of spying, and apologized. She seemed to calm down at that point.
She asked if I would like to ride with her for a while, I said sure. We rode slow and talked about normal things and got to know about each other. Nothing to in depth but still it was interesting. I told her I ride here just about everyday. She said me it was one of her favorite parks. As we neared the end of the trail I told her I hoped I would see her again.
