Since I first started working for The Loop Dallas a few months ago, the number one question that I’ve been asked (by far!) is: “So are you a big cyclist?” It’s at that point in the conversation that I have to confess I haven’t been on a bike much since my neighborhood-riding days of childhood. But just a few months into my role and several rides on my new bike, I’ve learned that trails have more to teach us than I thought.
I’m Kevin Fitzsimmons, Program Manager for The Loop Dallas, and this is My Dallas Trail Story.
The Trinity Skyline Trail has been my go-to ride early in my recreational cycling career. Beautiful nature scenes along the Trinity River, epic views of the downtown skyline, Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott bridges, and a combination of concrete and gravel trails – this route has everything a novice cyclist in Dallas could hope for…at least that’s what I thought the first time I went out for a ride.
My joy for my first ride was as hopeful and shiny as my brand new bike (shout out to the great folks at Dallas Bike Works!). Helmet strapped, tires pumped, and water bottle stocked, I set out from Trammell Crow Lake and headed South toward the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge. After just a few minutes on the trail, I was feeling great! The bike was running smoothly and I began to think that maybe I had the hang of this cycling thing more than I thought. After about 15 minutes, I stopped a couple miles down the trail near the Commerce St. bridge to turn around and make my way back.
That’s when it hit me – the 15-20 mph wind I hadn’t noticed at my back the entire ride out! Windwhipped and nervous, I shifted down gears to make the pedaling easier. You can imagine my terror as I thought about what the next two miles of my first bike ride would feel like. Long story short, what was a 15-minute ride out turned into a 30-minute ride back along the gravel path into a dead-on headwind. I was so tired and out of breath by the time I finished (after taking multiple rest breaks) that I thought I may never get on a bicycle again!
Later that week I caught up with a good friend from college and told him this embarrassing and hilarious story. After he finished laughing, he perked up and said “You know, sometimes doing the easy things now makes life harder later, but doing the hard things now makes life easier later.” It was a simple point about the necessity to take care of ourselves now for the benefit of our long-term health – if I eat right and move my body well now, my future self will thank me. This little wisdom gave me a whole new perspective on my cycling experience.
So I got back out on the route a few weeks later, this time with at least a little understanding and awareness of the wind conditions that afternoon! With multiple rides under my belt since, how I feel on the bike improves with each ride. So, in my short and exciting tenure with The Loop Dallas, I’m learning that trails can teach us things that carry far beyond a particular walk, ride, or hike…and I can’t wait to see what life lessons await me on the trails to come.
