Five straight 90s

Same weather, same wind, same ride. The only difference in the rides over the last three days was the turn around point. Wednesday the turn around point was farther than Thursday but I rode a loop in the neighborhood so Thursday was a mile longer. Today the turn around was one of the farthest points from home that I reach on an evening ride. When I got there I discovered that I was there.It seemed like a "duh" moment. For the information of those who have recently fallen off their bikes I came within about a heartbeat of falling off as I made the corner off the sidewalk into this overlook. I thought I was going down but I somehow willed the bike forward with a weight shift even though I was not able to make a pedal stroke. The tiny bit of forward momentum saved my balance and gave me a chance to pedal. I made it.

It was hot each day when I started, oppressively so. But after about 6pm it starts to cool off and by the time I got home each day it was actually starting to feel pretty pleasant.

I passed some sort of important tipping point with these five rides. I am tired right now, as is usual after the ride. But for the first time this year, I am tired like I just had a good workout and you are supposed to be tired after working out. For the first time I do not feel that I am exhausted that was really hard work kind of tired. I feel tired but I feel good. I think this is an important sign that fitness is returning. The first two months have been hard work but it should be more enjoyable from here on. For example, give me a few minutes here and I am pretty sure I could go out and ride another 15 miles. I feel good.

I would like to add just one note to the conversation about other riders paying more attention to my bike than to my companion. I would note that if you have once glanced at the bike that there is an instruction printed right there on the frame about what you are supposed to do next: LOOK. At least that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

It was hot out there today. It was a new record for this year, a three and a half bottle ride. The last couple of days I have arrived at a playground with at least a little water left which water I finished off, got a drink from the fountain, refilled the bottle and rode on.

Today when I arrived at Desnoyer Park I was totally and completely out of water and had been for about three miles.

This is a view of Desnoyer Park from the uphill side corner. This pretty little park is right at the top of the climb up from the river. It is a point at which a hot old guy really desparately needs some water.The outdoor water fountain is visible as the plumbing on the side of the building. It was a welcome sight. Incidentally, this is also a water source that I often use on fall rides as that water fountain is one of the last outdoor sources of water to be turned off by the city.

I also note that the weather is about to change. I could feel a very different air mass moving in as I neared home. I suspect rain, maybe a bunch of rain, coming tonight.