Riding at Night with Disco Spiders

Several years ago I discovered the peace and tranquility that comes with training at night. It started in the form of trail running and aside from the occasional spider web in the face, strange homeless dude hiding behind a tree, or the sound of coyotes getting closer and closer, it can be a very relaxing experience. Since I began training for RAAM, I have ridden at night (or early in the morning) and discovered the same enjoyment -- except replace the homeless dude with barking farm dogs (I'd prefer the homeless dude).

There is something about the calm of the evening and only the sound of my breath and the glow of my headlamp to keep me company that is almost zen-like. Plus there's the disco spiders.

I first discovered the disco spiders while trail running. I'd catch glimpses of these moving flickers of dark blue/green/purple on the edge of the trail. At first I thought it was smashed remnants of a beer bottle or a mountain biker's broken reflector catching the light from my headlamp. But as I ran, those little shimmering lights continued along the trail. They looked like tiny little disco balls to me. I finally stopped running, bent down, and was simultaneously repulsed and amazed to discover they were small black spiders scurrying along the trail edge. Over time, I came to appreciate their company and as I ran listening to my music, I imagined the disco spiders doing the same as they jammed to "Get Down Tonight" or "The Hustle".

I rode my bike in to Java Dive this morning and it was still dark but I was not alone. There they were, those little disco spiders along the edge of the road. I was actually riding slow enough to see them, their flickering colors reflecting off my bike light. And while I am NOT a big fan of spiders, I've come to regard them as pleasant company.