The tree leaves are all shine and shadow as they turn in the morning breeze. A passing rider remarks upon the beauty all around us, then accelerates away. Forty miles along. Anything that can hurt, does. I stand and stretch, twist and unfold.
Time becomes fluid, like the pumping legs and steady breathing.
I fall in with a friend, and we alternate the lead. The wind at our backs makes us feel bigger, stronger. There is less talk. The mental test is being administered now, and each person must pass it their own way. In my head, lines from songs flick in and out, as the heat builds and the speed drops.