It’s been a minute since my last update—and not the good kind where you’re off-grid and grinning behind a bug-splattered visor. This one’s more “stuck in neutral,” both literally and mentally.
I had big plans. Dual sport. Oregon coast. Open throttle, open skies. But before the van even left the driveway, things went sideways. I installed a 2″ hitch receiver, mounted the Black Widow tilting carrier, loaded up the bike—and then tried to back out.
SCREEEEECH.
Scraped harder than knees on a rookie low-side. Pulled forward. Scraped again. My driveway isn’t even steep, so this wasn’t a terrain issue—it was a “this carrier hangs lower than my will to do burpees” issue.
So I made the call: the bike stayed home. The vacation still happened—just me, a minivan, and a whole lot of staring longingly at roads I should have been riding. Not the worst trip ever. But not the ride I’d planned either.
The Aftermath: No Ride, No Workout, No Mojo
Since then? Dead engine. No rides. No gym. No garage sessions. No throttle therapy. Just the slow, creeping descent into snack-based living and making peace with “meh.”
What Went Wrong? Let’s Break It Down
Because I can’t leave well enough alone, I analyzed the wreckage. Here’s where the wheels came off:
1. Environment: The World’s Been a Jerk
- Brutal heat – The kind of hot where even thinking about ATGATT makes you sweat.
- Commute burnout – Back in the office more. More traffic. Less gas left in the tank by the time I get home.
- Sleep disruption – Spouse snoring louder than a two-stroke with a cracked reed.
2. Physical Woes: Rust Never Sleeps
- Exercise blackout – Haven’t moved much. Shockingly, this hasn’t made me feel more energetic.
- Garbage fuel – Comfort food carbs hit the dopamine, then hit the brakes.
- Weight creep – Not enough to panic. Just enough to feel sluggish and slow.
- Bad sleep loop – Late meals, restless nights, rinse, repeat.
3. Mental Fog: Like Riding in the Rain with No Visor
- Grief – Lost a coworker in a bike crash. Hit hard. Still processing.
- Work stress – More office time, fewer windows for escape.
- Lost routine – When the structure crumbles, everything slides.
4. Time: That Slippery Bastard
- Get home late → skip workouts → eat late → stay up too late → feel terrible → repeat.
The Feedback Loop of Doom
Stress → Comfort food → No rides or workouts → Low energy → Less motivation → More stress
Late dinners → Bad sleep → Tired → Grab junk food → Miss another workout → Full cycle
The Comeback Plan: Reboot from the Ruts
1. Keystone Habit Reboot
Start small. Elliptical. Walk. Push-ups. Five minutes of something. Anything. Kickstart the system.
2. Tame the Dinner Beast
Eat early enough to allow for actual sleep. No more “midnight snack = recovery fuel” lies.
3. Fix the Sleep Environment
Dark room. Meditation. No phone in bed. Basically treat sleep like it’s race prep.
4. WFH Friday = Self-Service Day
Stretch. Meal prep. Hydrate. Maybe even wash the bike as a peace offering.
Final Word: When’s It Start?
Still figuring that out. But soon.
Because the road’s still out there. The trails didn’t go anywhere. I just need to get moving again. And once I do?
You’ll hear it.
