Biking - A hilly, windy 29 miles

I went to bed last night with a grand plan to do a long loaded climb this morning. But reality set in when I woke up and didn't feel 100%, and didn't really want to take on something that big, especially after coming off a very light week and weekend of biking. So I set off on a 30-mile ride that was relatively flat, just to get the legs working again.

On the way, plans changed yet again. I was feeling better once I got back in the saddle, so I decided to sprinkle in a few shorter climbs just to make the ride worthwhile. In climbing Grant Hill Road, the big peak below, I tried sitting up with my hands on the top of the bars. This has never been my style, and you're more likely to find me in the drops than anywhere else while climbing. Well, either it made a huge difference, or my legs benefited from the recent respite. I cruised up the hill with 3 gears to spare, my best ever, and did the same on some smaller climbs that followed. This bodes well for the months to come.



On the way back north, the winds were coming up (from the north, of course), and the sky was occasionally threatening a shower. I didn't actually get spritzed until I was about a mile from home, and then the sun returned.

I'll be starting to disassemble and pack the bike after this weekend, so only a few more opportunities for a loaded climb. Then I'll be back on the old 10-speed for the rest of the month until I leave for the West Coast.