Does my GPS "audio coach" know better?

I love spring! This year is especially sweet because it was so long in coming. For me, spring signals two things:  the wonder of nature's renewal and re-creation as evidenced by the greening of the countryside but spring also heralds the start of a new cycling season. I have ridden a bicycle for a long as I can remember so the annual reunion of man and machine is always a welcome event. 

I was introduced to mountain biking during our years in Calgary.  When spring broke after our first winter there, we bought two mountain bikes -- one for me and one for Wendy -- and a trailer for our two girls. In the four years that we lived out west, we rode everywhere. I loved riding the trails. But, by the time we moved back to Ontario, the girls were now a bit too big for the trailer and the addition of a third child made family cycling outings difficult. That's when I discovered the joys of Ontario trail riding and then the thrill of cross-country mountain bike racing.  

With the onset of warm, dry weather, I decided today it was time to pull my all-time favourite bike down from it's garage ceiling mount, where it has been resting since the fall. A little dusty but still a beauty: an electric blue, sub-25 pound, dual suspension, full XTR, Devinci Moonracer.  Durham Forest, here I come! 

After about 45 minutes out, I reached my usual turnaround point, a challenging stretch of trail known as "TJ's Way." It has a couple of really nasty short, steep climbs that are guaranteed to inflict pain and slow one's progress. Grinding upward, the "audio coach" on my GPS tracker tells me that my "workout has been paused". Are you kidding me? My legs are screaming in pain, my lungs are gasping for much needed oxygen, and my heart rate is pinned to the max. But, I'm still moving forward. Slowly, yes, but forward nonetheless. Workout paused? Not a chance. Maybe my GPS thinks I should be pausing but I still have another 45 more minutes of fun to go! 

A fellow cyclist once quipped that my bike was built to go much faster than I was capable of propelling it. Maybe so, but I have never been disappointed in the ride.   Each year, my first ride is a little slower and a little more difficult than the last, age may have something to do with that. This year was no exception. While my GPS may be able to track my route,  location and even forward progress, one thing it can't track is the joy of the ride: the smile it generates is as wide as ever!  Welcome to spring!