Juneteenth Morning Coffee Ride

Friday is finally upon us, and today is a nice break from work thanks to the Juneteenth holiday remembrance. Yes, the actual holiday is tomorrow, but today is the celebratory day off from work. The weather is absolutely beautiful today, with very little wind, and the perfect temperature for riding at 5am. Today I met a friend at a local Starbucks, and we hung out, shot the breeze and caught up, while drinking coffee outside under the lovely rays shining down from the sun. I rocked out a full 50k ride this morning, feeling hella motivated, and just utterly enjoying the climate.

I left the house at 5am with the intention of meeting up at 7:30am. The goal was to essentially ride the full 50k, and meet at a Starbucks closer to where I live compared to where he lives. So I set out on the road at 5:15am, and even with a few stops to drink, rest and take in some fresh air, and even hit the bathroom, I arrived at Starbucks around 7:20am after having rode for about 45k of the full 50k.

Having a plan to meetup with a buddy for coffee is a nice goal. It is a refreshing way to mentally prepare, and keep the motivation level up high. It takes the mind off any pain, because the constant thought process is, “I gotta make it to Starbucks before 7:30!” Plus, drinking a coffee that early in the morning, after exerting a ton of energy, is so refreshing. There is something about being outside in nature, with a nice view of the running water weaving down the river, the greenery lining the riverbank, and the calm before the morning storm of people descend upon the park to relax, read, do some work, and more.

I am unsure if I will be able to ride tomorrow seeing as the weather forecast is currently calling for rain. It will be a lucky day if I can get out on the tarmac, but I am holding out hope I am able to ride before the sky starts pissing down upon us Tokyoites.