Resurrecting a long dormant blog in an effort to remotivate myself to ride more and faster. I have a weekly Strava goal of 130 miles. Last week I rode 114 miles and was happy to have done so, with fairly heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday. I have the legs for about a 50-mile ride these days, a far cry from five years ago, when I was knocking out doubles regularly and almost comfortably. Now I am looking to get back to doubles.
So, today, I rode modest 21 miles that involved 2111' of climbing. It was a lovely November afternoon, sunny, slightly cool-breezy, roads drying from yesterday's rain. Now that I'm 54, I have realized that my senses aren't so sharp anymore. I am the last to hear a car approaching behind. Today, riding through Lake Temescal park, I heard a rider behind me. I glanced back at him and moved over to give him room to pass. He didn't. The path through the park ended. I signaled right turn onto Broadway and made the turn. Looked back at my follower and didn't find him. Perhaps he turned left -- no. Peeled off earlier in the park -- nope. Stopped earlier on the path -- negative. Are my sight and hearing screwed up or was I hallucinating? Maybe sight and hearing are going but the sense of touch is just fine; damn it was cold riding past the lake. Then climbing frontage Broadway, with sun shining and wind at my back I felt 10 degrees warmer. The climb warmed me up I was comfortable for the rest of the ride.
And the rest of the ride felt good, probably from rain-forced two-day rest, so riding felt fast and easy. Carbon wheels, mmm the jury is still out. I've managed to work out the braking, but in the wind from any direction the bike feels unstable. Nothing terrible, but just unsettling enough to make me think twice about riding them.
Next ride is tomorrow. Hope that next write is tomorrow also.
