A Veritable "Stroll in the Park"
Compared to the Jan-09th ride and especially the Jan-22nd ride on this course, today was a veritable "stroll in the park". Seven days ago, Dean and I did this same route, but with gloomy overcast skies most of the day, with a NW wind (i.e., a headwind "coming home") and the temperature at the end was 34 degrees F -- that was the high for the day. Today, Dean and I did this route under clear, blue skies (not a single cloud in the sky), with an increasing SW wind (i.e., an increasingly strong tailwind "coming home"), and the temperature before the start was above freezing and the temperature at the end was 57 degrees F. What a difference the change in the wind direction made! What a difference 23 degrees made!! What a difference bright sunshine made!!!
Everything went smoothly from the beginning. Well, no. Someone ... I'm not going to indicate whom ... but it was not me ... forgot an important piece of equipment. We returned to the start having accumulated approximately 1.5 bonus miles -- not much in the grand scheme of things AND not much compared to bonus miles that many have collected on various rides.
After someone found and put on his important piece of equipment, things went smoothly.
Gosh, how nice to ride in fewer clothes and ... not be cold.
It seemed to me that in almost no time at all, we were going past the "shutters" house, and heading directly into Erwin and over to Dunn. I think Dean may have thought that it took a bit more than "almost no time all"; I think he was still tired from the tough ride he did on Friday, pulling mules with Maria, Alan, Bryan and Steven . Dean did say that they had "pushed the pace" on Friday, with almost everyone, including the route owner, collecting, or trying to collect, bonus miles.
Our conversation quickly morphed onto other various subjects, including a possible "north side" permanent populaire. However, due -- I am sure -- entirely to his fatigue left over from the Friday ride, conversation soon turned into more of a monologue than a conversation. After he'd heard enough of my blabbering to last him a fortnight, Dean started repeatedly dropping me off his front. Smart move.
I filled my water bottle in Erwin with caramel-colored, fizzy, sugar "water". Dean did not. Not even the Diet version that he claims he sometimes uses to refill his bottles. (I.e., I rode the return leg on a caffeine and sugar "high".)
That's enough of a report, except to confirm that it was a great day to ride on a not-flat course with excellent company -- even if he was tired.
One last thing ... today's ride put Dean over the 1000 km mark for 2011. Already. Congratulations, Dean!
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Jan-29:
Get 'Er Dunn 102 km Permanent Populaire; 65.4 m.; 4 hrs, 34 min in-motion; 14.2 mph; rando-time: 5 hrs, 37 min elapsed on the clock.
Jan tot: __8 rides; __540.1 m.; _37 hrs, 21 min; 14.5 mph.
YTD tot: __8 rides; __540.1 m.; _37 hrs, 21 min; 14.5 mph.
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