perils of sleeping in

Jetlag is like a miracle drug. I'm not much of a morning person, though it's always something I've secretly aspired to be. So having jetlag is great because it temporarily gives me all the satisfaction of actually attaining an aspiration without requiring any concerted effort on my part. 'Boosting' for wannabe early birds, I guess. Anyway, I don't get 'lagged much, but when I do, I never regret it. That extra hour or so in the morning means I have time to squeeze in a run, make an actual breakfast, skim the headlines, and spend more than five minutes in the shower. Obviously convenient on days when I have to work, but it sucked gorilla balls this morning, hauling me out of bed at 4:30 on my day off and expecting me to be cheerful about being productive.
Made it all the way through the sunrise, my morning routine, and even a groggy round of KZ2 before I started feeling a ride coming on. Guess it was as good a chance as any.

Threw some tools and a tuna rice ball in my mess bag, and pointed the Langster like a missile silo towards the edge of town. Took the winding Asahi River north, under the Sanyo and into the mountains. I'd almost forgotten how incredible the asphalt can feel, when completely removed of distraction; the persistent hazards and vehicular obstructions in this nigh-inescapable jungle of concrete. There's a very distinct comfort found through exertion--a slow unwind back to sanity in watching the white lines streaming beneath.

[click to enlarge]

follow the Asahi 

eastern outskirts

bamboo passage 

sense in a single

30 serendipitous kilometers and I still made it back in time for breakfast. Perfect.

I really need to fly internationally more often.