My father visited this weekend.  He, my husband and I went for a long bike ride on Saturday.   When I think of my history with exercise, I typically think of the recent history, the past 4 years or so since my endeavors with the tri girls a the Y and Livfit.  But really, it is my father who inspired me to start exercise and the relationship with the bicycle.  He had been doing some serious touring with a youth and adult group for a few years.  He and the group would take off on these two week trips through the Midwest with their gear in panniers.  My first year, was the year of the big floods on the Mississippi River around St. Louis.  I regrettably didn’t take the idea of the Ozark MOUNTAINS seriously enough because I nearly died from our 70 + mile days.  But in spite of how much I really dreaded the daily cycling miles, spending time with teenagers, sleeping on church floors, 100° days and the hills, something “took”.  Since then, my father and I have had our share of memories and trips on the bikes.  It was nice to pedal away with him and my husband this weekend.  We’ll all hit the road together again for Bike the Drive.  Daddy is retiring in June, I can see many more cycling trips in the future.