136 words about 58 miles and comfort food

Eventually every cyclist will notice how your frame of mind affects the ride and how your ride affects your frame of mind. Sometimes all in the same ride. One of our cats is very near the end of his life, so I sought out the cycling equivalent of comfort food. It was a recipe I made up as I went along, choosing only roads I liked and not worrying about speed or time or effort. I stopped to take pictures of cows and the changing leaves. Even so, it was pretty joyless. About 35 miles in, after stopping to escort a box turtle across Mountainview, my mood had shifted. It’s all temporary: the pain, the joy, the stuff in between. But helping someone get across the road seemed to make things better for both of us.

The ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/419331276