Three for Three

So yes, I made it out to the Giro Ride on Saturday.  In fact, I think most of those who had made the Thanksgiving ride and the prior day's Slidell ride were also on hand.  Surprisingly, I was feeling just a little stiffness in the legs, but otherwise I was ready to make it three for three.  The slightly warmer weather made for a fast and well-attended Giro Ride.  There was still a fair amount of wind around, so naturally that resulted in some fast sections.  It wasn't until I was most of the way back that it all started to catch up with me a bit, and by the time I got home all I wanted to do was sit on the couch, eat chips, and watch reruns of Star Wars. A long Sunday ride was still on the table, but because I had to leave for Baton Rouge around 10 am to help with some last-minute pre-Act of Sale packing for my niece. I'd already set my sights on the Sunday Giro rather than the Northshore Ride.

A cool front had started coming through and when I peeked out the window at 5:45 am on Sunday I could see that the street was still rather damp.  I got dressed anyway, buckled on the helmet, stepped out the door, and was surprised to feel a light misty drizzle falling.  I took it as a sign from the Recovery Gods and instead took the dogs for a walk.  It was probably a wise decision because the weather remained chilly, windy and damp all day.  Last night the effects of the cold front really started to take hold and by this morning the temperature was down to the lower 40s and the street was still just a little wet.  I figured it was time to bite the bullet and get started on my winter acclimatization, however, so I pulled on the long tights and winter jacket and went out for a short spin, more as a character-building exercise than actual training ride.  Looks like a few days of cold mornings ahead, though. When I got back to the house I fired up the heater for the first time this season, letting it run just long enough to burn off that smell you always get when you do that.