Tuesday in the Dark

The lovely weather we enjoyed over the weekend is rapidly becoming nothing more than a fond memory. By the time we were ready to head back home from the lakefront Ray's shoes were dripping sweat with each pedal stroke. Granted, Ray could probably be the poster child for hyperhidrosis, but he nonetheless serves as a valid and easily referenced indicator of relative humidity. It is by no means as hot as it might be, however, and in the pre-dawn hour when the Tuesday ride started it was still feeling rather comfortable. As we work our way through town toward the lakefront the group sometimes gets split up a bit. Even 18 mph can seem pretty fast in the dark when you can't quite see what you're riding over, or into. This morning we were rolling along at a pretty good clip and between the overpass and the stoplights and the darkness along Jefferson Davis Parkway some big gaps opened up about which the front of the group didn't know, so we had a general regroupment somewhere around City Park.

By the time we were halfway down Lakeshore Drive the group had picked up a bunch of riders and I guess we were up to around twenty for a while. It was still plenty dark, but not too dark to see that Woody was pushing the pace and Brian Baum was in full complicity. Every once in a while they would ease up a bit, gaps would close, and then Woody would accelerate again. It was definitely a workout, and one that continued pretty much all the way out to Kenner. We got a little break after the turnaround for a bit but soon enough it was all strung out in a long line. Luckily there was practically no wind this morning so I don't think we lost anyone, not even Eddie C who had jumped into the paceline on his mountain bike. Then, right at the end of the lake trail bike path, at the top of the levee, Brian punctured and we had a little siesta amidst all of the Bucktown seafood restaurants.

The ride back, as always, is more commute than training, and the group got split a couple of times when everyone didn't make it through the stop lights together. I got back home sweaty and tired. Situation normal.