Today is March 1st here in the center of the universe, or as close as we can get in Illinois. That means the northern hemisphere of Planet Earth is on its way toward the vernal equinox. Spring. The light is changing.

Staring down at the subtle ring of winter fat around my waist, I realize that sub-zero temperatures have a cost. We stay in more, and eat more. Comfort food. Compensation. Submitting to our immediate appetites.

Spring is all about changing our appetites. This past Saturday the sun shone and temperature crawled toward fifty degrees. I hauled the road bike down, pumped the tires just under 100 psi for safety on possibly wet roads and wrapped in layers of late-winter cycling gear, then rolled out for a twenty-five mile ride.

It was so quiet out in the country that I stopped just to listen. To the solitude. The winds were low and the snow banks were still high. They might well have been piles of sugar. That’s probably what my body was thinking. Ride right past them. Change your appetites.

In any case, the world was in transition. Changing from frozen to free. I was happy just to be riding, especially on the way back with a slight tailwind. I averaged just under 16mph for the day. Base building. Time in the saddle. Breaking in the butt. I’m not much for the indoor trainer, you see.

After a few of these rides, the appetite for training kicks in. When that happens, we’re more disciplined with our eating habits and our early morning routines. Changing appetites. It’s the way to go.

Soon the fields to the right and left of the road will be plugged with lines of seed. The first green sprouts show up like a haze across the dirt. We’re riding through spring into summer, when the appetites will change again. Get into the rhythms. Change your perspective. Change your appetites.

And go.