Good grief

The morning newspaper reports that the last time we experienced a temperature of 70 degrees here was October 11.  Which without necessarily checking the log indicates to me that it has been nearly 6 months since the last time I had a hard ride.

Today's efforts rather conclusively established that my fitness regime since then has been . . . well, insufficient.

Ride report?  Good grief, that was hard.

The first ride of the year is always a bit of a scramble/scavenger hunt.  I have all of the gear and it is all somewhere here in this house but locating all of the appropriate bits is the scavenger hunt bit.  The clothing is mostly in one spot, the shoes somewhere else, which socks, the helmet somewhere else, which pair of gloves, glove liners? helmet liner, which jacket is the appropriate one for the conditions.  Next up comes the test equipment scramble phase.  I needed a new battery for the cycle computer and I had to pump the tires.  I had a spare battery on hand (I am cyclist, hear me roar) although as most will know a new battery calls for complete reprogramming of the computer, and I do, of course, have about three options for pumping the tires.  There was also just a tiny bit of a panic before I located the water bottles.  It is perhaps worth noting that on last year's first ride I was about 3.5 miles from home before I realized that a) I would be wanting a drink at the 5 mile mark and b) I didn't actually have any water with me.

I chose gear that figured to be too warm at 70 and the results at the cattle barn demonstrated the wisdom of that choice.

Besides everything else there is still plenty of snow visible there on the north (sheltered from the sun) side of the barn.  It turns out that the official temperature may fall just shy of 70 (I heard 68 on the car radio when I was traveling to and from the grocery store) but I am still calling 70, we had 71 on our front yard digital outside measurement FM signal delivery to an inside display (popularly referred to I believe as indoor/outdoor) thermometer.  70 it is.

The gear worked out well as I had a no perspiration no chills ride, exactly what every cyclist aspires to, particularly at this time of year.

The ride had been going so poorly up to that moment pictured above at the CB that I was actually really pleased with myself to have persevered well enough to reach the Fairgrounds.  On the route I rode today I was nearly 8 miles out when I arrived at the Cattle Barn.

I am the local chronicler of all things Fairgrounds so I today report the on going construction establishing the new location for that welcome to the State Fair arch that there has been such a fuss about.

The arch is visible there just beyond the new posts upon which I assume it will be mounted.  Most people will recognize the jumping off point for the Skyride.  All of that Heritage Square business that used to be to the left of the Skyride has been demolished and replaced with a pretty heavy duty construction site.

The scuttlebutt is that a new transportation hub and welcome to the Fairgrounds center is what is being constructed there.

I took the short way home from there.

The first day is the hardest and the first day is now behind me.  I expect the second day to be at least easier, maybe not a lot, but at least easier.  And I don't expect my shoulders to feel so completely unused to the position as they felt today.  But mostly I rode as far as I possibly could, occasionally feeling as though I couldn't continue for even another pedal stroke.  Perhaps not too surprisingly as exhaustion approached I uncannily began to feel a certain rhythm settling in.  I have done this before.