Spectacular Spin

Spectacular weather today. The Giro ride group was uncharacteristically civilized today. I think everyone was really enjoying the weather and didn't want to spoil it with too much heavy breathing. Had some discussion with Laura about the recent news that a bunch of our Cat. 4s are forming their own team (why, nobody can figure out - I think it's really all about having your own private team jersey). Anyway, that's a story for a different day.

We were most of the way down Hayne Blvd. before the pace picked up at all. I, for one, was just soaking in the sunshine back in the paceline while a handful of riders pursued a lonely effort to push the pace. On the way back a couple of riders, one on aero-bars, started rolling off the front. I watched for a while as the front of our group ignored them. I just hate watching people ride away from the pack. Well, OK, maybe I just hate watching ride away from me. So I just had to chase. They weren't going all that fast, and so after a minute or two at 27 mph I latched on. One of the guys was starting to die, so I made sure he got off of my wheel and onto Lawrence's, since drafting off of me is practically a waste of time for a normal-sized guy. When we hit the service road, which is a traditional regrouping spot, I sat up and waited for the group. With the pace a little slower, I worked on my spin for a while, keeping up around 120 rpm for a few miles as I twirled a 53x17. A while later, we turned onto Hayne Blvd. for the final stretch, and another group of three or four took off. I watched for a while as they built up 30 seconds or so and then, for reasons known only to some cluster of neurons in the base of my brain, I decided to go after them. Surprised? Didn't think so.

I switched into time-trial mode. At around 27 mph I was slowly gaining on them as we hit the Casino overpass. Riding steady up the overpass, the gap was down to 10 seconds or so and I was hoping they would ease up and coast down. No such luck. As I heard later, The Howard looked back and saw me coming and started pushing the pace again. I saw them pick up their pace and dropped down a couple of cogs on the downhill but I was pretty fried and for a while I was losing ground on them. A minute or two later, as we approached the Seabrook bridge, I was feeling a little bit recovered and started pushing again, eventually catching and passing all but The Howard as we climbed the bridge.

At home I turned on the TV and G.I. Jane was on and so I just had to watch the whole thing. I really like that movie - especially the music - for some reason.

So I picked up oil and an oil filter from the local auto parts store, which by the way is relentlessly sinking into an unbelievable state of non-management, and really should go out there and grovel around on the ground and change the oil, and later pay some bills, and do stuff like reorganize my sock drawer, but I think maybe I'll just blow it all off today and sit out on the porch and have a glass of wine instead.

Days like this are not to be wasted.