August 2008 Recap

August 2008 mileage: 872.7
2008 year-to-date mileage: 3,143.0

Despite being out here for several months already, this was the first month that it's really started to hit me that I'm living out here. I have a feeling that the big city will always overwhelm me, that I'll continually have periods where I feel claustrophobic living amongst so many people. But there will also be times like the several night rides I did this month, where I watch the sunset over the mountains, then turn around and see the city pulsing below.

A friend once expressed his desire to me to move to a large city, to just blend in and get lost in the shuffle and hustle of life. I certainly feel that way sometimes, for better or worse. But, we also get into routines and patterns where things become familiar. I pass the same businesses on my morning commute, see the same people going about their daily happenings -- hopefully they recognize me as a fellow commuter also, not just a spandex-clad cyclist who doesn't belong on the road.

As I mentioned before, I hope to get some more dirt riding in this month. I just received word that my broken fork is finally on its way back to me, so by this weekend I should have a working mountain bike again. As the weather begins to cool down (one can hope), I want to start exploring the local trails at Potato Mountain, Marshall Canyon, and Sunset Ridge. I'd also like to ride up in Big Bear or the Santa Ana River Trail before the snow falls.

If we're lucky, we might even get some dirt under the tandem.