Getting Dark on the Levee

It was a bit cooler and a lot darker this morning when I met the 6:15 group. By the time we head out the lights are almost unnecessary, but I know that within a couple of weeks that won't be the case and I'll be anxiously awaiting the end of October when we ditch Daylight Savings Time and get that extra hour of partial light in the mornings. There was a good number of riders today and although the pace going out was quite respectable, it wasn't one of those flat-out, sweat dripping off your nose kinds of days. That was a good thing because despite two whole days off the bike (I totally overslept yesterday) my legs were still feeling a little tired from Saturday night's punishment.

A lot of riders, maybe half the group, turned around early this morning, and although the pace stayed fast out to the turnaround, the return trip was mellow by comparison. With a light headwind we spent most of our time in the 24 mph neighborhood, at least until Keith flatted. When he did, he dropped back down the left side and for some reason caught some of the riders in the back by surprise. Anyway, just a handful of us stopped, as often happens when someone flats on the return trip. It kind of looked like a class on flat-fixing there for a while as everyone stood there watching and offering suggestions like "put the tire label where the valve hole is." It was kind of funny. Despite all the advice, the flat got fixed and we were on our way pretty quickly.

After that I was on my way to an eye doctor appointment that was about five years overdue and ended up dropping about $600 on the exam and a new pair of glasses since I'm now in bifocal territory. I mean, if they have Ti frames, how can I settle for anything else? Anyway, the outrageous price really stings and I guess I'll be eating a bit more rice for the next month or two. Hopefully these will hold me for a few years.

Meanwhile, folks are getting ready for next weekend's La./Ms. Time Trial Championships and a couple of sets of photos from the Pepper Place Criterium have begun to surface:

(One set; Another set). I don't think the results have been posted anywhere yet, though.