Barking at shovels: The blaggard rebels seemed to be winning

2003 April 19

The blaggard rebels seemed to be winning

I had no idea what day it was today until I ran into the musket fire outside of Lexington.

That made me suspicious. But I didn't know for sure until I got to the Old North Bridge in Minuteman Park near Concord. I also hadn't known, until I started reading the interpretive signs, that that was the actual site of the "shot heard 'round the world", on April 19, 1775. Too cool.

The reason I was there is just that I decided to try a more ambitious bike ride today -- the sun was out, even if the air was still a bit chilly, and I had nothing particular that needed doing. Concord happened to be about the right distance away -- I could ride out the Minuteman Bikeway to the end, then follow an abandoned rail line right to the Old North Bridge. So I did, and the rest, I suppose, is just a lesson in fortune favouring those who get off their butt. I was originally planning to come home via Walden Pond and Lincoln, but with things falling as they were, I couldn't pass by Battle Road Park.

(For someone who spent the day "off his butt", mine now aches abominably. No justice.)

Today's ride is, I believe, the longest I've ever done:

Date	Route	Dist	Time	Avg Spd	Year Total
2003/04/19	Bedford Depot -- Concord -- Battle Road	49 km	204 min	14.5 km/h

For reference, the disused rail line between Bedford and Concord is a good ride, if you've got fat tires. I crunched through leaves, ploughed through a bit of mud, and met only two bikers and a horse-drawn carriage in the whole distance.

status: Ouch. If I'd been trying to do the Provincetown ride, I'd have to get up and do that distance again right now, then again almost twice more tomorrow. It doesn't bear thinking about.

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