This Sunday I have an early morning meeting and I won’t be able to do my planned 5 hour ride. Shucks. So, I left this morning at 6:00 and climbed the hill thru Mevo Horon to the beginning of the big climb to Neve Ilan, down to Shaar Hagai and thru Derech Nof Dromit thru Park Canada to Latrun – took about 2 1/2 hours. The sunrise is at 5:20 and it was stunning riding thru the fields of Mevo Horon and seeing flocks of birds just take off as soon as I rode by. Almost got stopped by a cow going up the hill. At 8:30, I stopped for a coffee break at the Latrun gas station by the Armored Corps Memorial.
I was drinking my coffee, eating raisins, walnuts and generally minding my own business when a guy in a riding shirt and shorts asks if he can sit down, looking at my bike (a Scott Racing Elite) and commenting that “he never did get into that”. I asked what was “that” and he said mountain biking.
Well, did we have a lot to talk about, road and mountain biking, hiking the Israel Trail and how Israelis need to be a lot more modest. Hmm – that’s a thought isn’t it!
Turns out his name is Gadi Doron, he’s the Internal Audit manager at the Israeli Police which sparked another round of conversation about operational risk and audit.
Almost an hour later, we exchanged phone numbers, emails and I went back to work but by 9:30 it was so hot, I abandoned my original plan to ride out to Tel Gezer and back and set out to return to Modiin cross-country. Took 1 1/2 hours and it was sweltering hot; I had to stop every so often just to wipe of the sweat.
I dunno – the weatherman said it was gonna be cooler today – maybe in his office, but not out in the fields between Shaalavim and Modiin!