This evening I rode 5 miles with my 7 year old on the Jordan River Parkway. A nice, easy 45 minute recovery ride. Tonight was Alder's first ride in his new Pearl Izumi kids jersey. It has 3 pockets in the back, just like a standard adult jersey, and he packed 2 granola bars and a cliff bar, one in each pocket. As we rode along he ate, while riding, finishing the last at the end of the ride. It was pretty funny to watch as he thought it was the coolest thing ever, to be able to pack snacks in his shirt and eat them on his bike! Another fun aspect of the ride was the abundance of winged grasshoppers. As we rode down the path they would rise up in flight only to land again a short distance away. He tried, unsuccessfully, to catch one but couldn't get close enough without sending them into the air. Finally, I suggested that he lie down on his stomach so as to create a lower profile which, hopefully, would allow him to escape detection. He looked at me and asked, "Are you serious?" to which I replied, "Yes, try it." As luck would have it he was able to catch a grasshopper on his very first attempt using my recommended technique! Yeah, that Entomology class I took in college paid off big time tonight. I rode with the grasshopper to the car, he held it while I drove home, and it is now in his bug aquarium in the garage. I don't recall ever enjoying a recovery ride more than I did tonight. :)
2 comments:
I thought by the title and the picture maybe you'd gone granola and started using grasshoppers as a protein boost on your rides. I heard they are good dipped in a little chocolate.
Great story. Through all the racing and training, that's what it is really all about. I've been thinking about getting one of those jersey's for my six-year old for our rides; now, I will.
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