Although beautiful outside – with deep blue skies, bright sunshine, and fluffy clouds – it was definitely cool. My exterior thermometer only reached the mid-60s. It was also rather calm – which means that the air wasn’t being mixed up via the usual winds. Thus, there were pockets of both hot and cold along the whole route. Flat, open sections where the sun was heating up the pavement felt warm. Low areas that spent the day in the shade were cool.
I chose to put on an extra base layer and was glad I made the choice. There were points along the ride where it felt warm, but several spots were down-right chilly and the later stages of the ride were cooling off quickly with the setting sun. Better to be over-dressed than under.
I had taken the past few days off from work and was focused on getting a few necessary chores completed around the house. I continue to have some unwelcome water around my front step and made an attempt to re-route the downspouts to a different part of the roof. I also sealed up what I felt was an error in how the builders would have integrated the shingles and the siding. Unfortunately, I can only know if my repairs are effective after a significant snowfall and its accompanying thaw – as those are the circumstances that lead to the issue.
As much as I hate to wish for snow – it is the only way to know if I need to take additional corrective steps.
That also meant that I left the bike sit in the basement instead of going for a ride. It wasn’t until Monday – during a brief chance while letting some primer dry on my bedroom molding – that I threw on a kit and hit the road for a brief turn of the pedals.
With only sporadic riding during the past few weeks, my stamina is fading. That is OK, as my cycling goals are now limited to simply enjoying the ride for what it is – a bike ride. I’ll still try to push hard at times, but my approach to hill climbing is only to get to the top (speed is irrelevant).
There are still a few good riding days left in the year. With some luck I might hit 1,800 miles this year – but that is a far cry from the 2,500+ miles that I achieved in 2010.
