Too Fast for Fall

The outdoor thermometer read just a couple of degrees below 60F.  I decided to skip the knee-warmers since it was bound to warm up.  Five minutes later I was regretting that decision.  Along with the slightly warmer temperature and come a surge of humidity. The chill felt significantly worse than yesterday, despite the extra couple of degrees.  Of course I knew it would warm up once the sun came over the horizon, but there's just something particularly uncomfortable about those first few miles in the morning when you feel a tad underdressed.

We had a typical group for the long Thursday ride today.  The pace on the way out was actually uncharacteristically sedate with a number of riders content to sit at the back and let people into the paceline in front of them.  By the time we were halfway to the turnaround the group rotating at the front had dwindled to five or so, but since the pace was hovering around the 23 mph mark, it wasn't really a big problem.  Donald was taking his usual long pulls, and for some reason that eventually must have gotten on Rob's nerves because somewhere way out around Destrehan the two of them got into a little shouting match at the front.  The rest of us just kind of ignored it and went around them.  I mean, after all, it's November.

Unfortunately, that kind of set the stage for the return trip.  Rob and Donald kind or rode away up the road right from the start.  Maybe they kissed and made up.  I dunno.  What I do know is that we soon had a pretty significant headwind.  I guess it must have really picked up because I definitely don't remember much of a tailwind on the way out.  Eventually we got close to Rob and Donald, and at that point things kind of got out of hand.  The pace surged, and then surged again, and soon the paceline came completely apart.  After a little while a new group of five or six formed just ahead of me.  I started to put my head down and chase, but then I thought, "Do I really want to race all the way back to New Orleans?"  So I eased up and waited for a few others. The group up the road was just going a little too fast for fall, and I just didn't feel like playing that game today.  So I rode in with a little group of four or so.  Somewhere way behind us were the remnants of the original group.