Stretch

Lots of early season rides are loops, hoping for mileage but not ever straying a huge straight line distance from the garage where all rides begin.  The deal is you have to be sure you can get home before you ride very far away.

So today I ventured farther away from home than I had been previously and rode out to the Shoreview water tower.

That's also a construction update.  Some may remember late last fall that the strip mall that used to be across the street from and between Island Lake and the water tower disappeared, and actually so did the street.

The street now runs behind this big thing meaning that the new six story apartment building can advertise itself as being on the lakeshore.

But the road has been reestablished on the back side and there is once again a way through there.

There's a couple of other things about a ride to the Shoreview water tower.  First, as most will know, I start all rides out into the wind.  This makes the first half of the ride harder but on the other hand for the second half of the ride I am tired and I wouldn't want to be facing the wind with fatigue coming on.  Start is ALWAYS into the wind.

Second, that thing is a water tower and as we all know, water towers are located . . . on top of hills.

That means that today's early season ride to the Shoreview water tower was uphill into the wind at a distance on the outer fringes of my fitness level.

A stretch.

My leg strength is returning nicely but the whole oxygen producing apparatus is still a bit (a fair bit) behind.

Probably also of note is this first photo of the year of Lake Owasso.  This one is from the south end.

It is quite apparent that I have missed that whole ice out thing this year.  Lake Owasso is not only ice free but it has also advanced into the recreational boating season.

I'm OK with that but I really would like some foliage.  You know, leaves on the trees.

Stretching is good.