I got to bed very, very late last night mainly due to reading a book but I wanted to ride today. I wasn’t sure how far I would ride but I had to get out. I had only ridden on Wednesday this week so I knew I needed another bike ride. I slept in until 8:00 AM to get a little sleep and then rolled out. It was overcast outside but nice.

I rolled out of the driveway not know how I was going to ride. It took a couple of minutes to get across the big intersection coming out of my neighborhood but once I did I was able to settle in pretty good. After a few minutes of riding I checked my speed and I was cruising along at 14+ mph. It didn’t even feel like it. I checked my gearing and I was pushing a bigger gear than I normally do and I was doing so almost effortlessly. It felt good. I’ve noticed over the last couple of rides that I’ve been able to push bigger gears easier.

After having three straight days off the bike I was ready to ride again. I wasn’t sure what to expect because of my short layoff but I was optimistic.

5:00 AM came bright and early and I was ready. I had a new set of bibs and a shirt come in the mail yesterday so I was eager to try them out. I’d also installed a new front light to increase my visibility to oncoming traffic. The air was a little chilly this morning but not bad. Once I got to spinning I warmed up quickly.

My first long straightaway I was cooking. I was averaging around 14 mph which is about what I saw on my last couple of bicycle rides. Traffic seemed rather light this morning and I wasn’t complaining. As I neared my first turn I couldn’t believe how good I felt. The bibs felt good, the legs felt good, and I was movin’. The rest must have done me some good. During this stretch I’m pushing along anywhere from 14 to 16 mph. As I neared my turnaround point I slowed down a bit due to a little uphill work and because I wanted to conserve my energy for the second half.