Many years ago I realized that running, or jogging, was not a good exercise. Well many of you might disagree, running while upright, is not a natural function for the homo erectus in the last 40,000 years. Bad on the knees and the feet.

I decided that riding a bike was better. So for many years when we lived in Oakville I would do my cardio by heading out on bike rides around the community or in the countryside.

When I did runs from Oakville to Burlington on Lakeshore Road there was one thing I prided myself on. If I saw someone coming up on a bike behind me on my helmet mirror, I would speed up. No way would anyone pass me.

Now occasionally I would see that it was one of those crazy guys riding a $3000 bike, as light as a feather, with tires the width of your little finger, dressed in yellow speedos, butt up in the air… but that did not count. Just do not let a recreational rider pass me. No matter if I had to have a heart attack, not going to happen.

When I started riding a route around here I kind of followed the same routine. Granted not a lot of young skinny guys and gals on fancy bikes these here.

For the last year I had cut back on the riding but took it up again a few months ago. Some knee issues but better than going to the fitness club where you have to wear a mask while doing your cardio on a cross trainer. Very sweaty.

Lovely morning today so I was doing my normal 10 k loop.

I was riding down Anderton road and noticed a rider in my mirror catching up to me. In the past I would have geared up and gone ballistic, but I let the rider eventually catch up and pass. A younger lady, maybe in her 50s on the same kind of bike cruised past and we shared morning greetings. There was a time this would never happen.

She pulled ahead.

We kind of live at the top of a ridge. No matter where you bike there are great downhill stretches, but eventually you actually have to climb back up the hill. Granted we are not talking of Tour De France kind of stuff, but an uphill.

So I turn the corner to finally take the gentle slope up Crown Isle Drive home and there she was taking a break on the side. Pretending to talk to someone working on one of the houses, but I realize, she had gone off too hard.

Rode home and felt pretty good,