My long rides take on a bit of a different tone for two reasons now. First, of course, is the mental hurdle of having completed a 100-mile ride last weekend. After that, seeing that the ride I had planned for today was going to be about 72 miles didn’t really phase me. Second, I’ve discovered (and this is amazing, considering that I regularly ride at 0430 on weekdays) that setting out at 0500 leaves a good portion of the day available after the ride is done.
I scored big on both counts this morning. Because the tide was in and I wasn’t able to go to an island only accessible at lower tide, my 72 miles was going to lose about 5 miles. I changed the route ending and got it back up to 70 even, and it didn’t bother me in the slightest. And because I left at 5, I was home before 11. And that even after stopping at the car wash to rinse the mud off the bike.
Overall, and despite the disappointment of missing the low tide, it was a successful ride. I’d programmed a complicated portion into my Garmin and took some serious back roads in spots, but it didn’t let me down (although I misread it a couple of times). Once I got to familiar territory, I was able to switch off the navigation and get home without incident. I did pick up an overly sweet pastry at a 7-11, but I suppose it gave me more energy to finish the ride. And on the bright side, maybe it’s taught me what pastries not to pick in the future.
A great day, and now it’s time for a late lunch.
