People like what they like. I enjoy going on the River Ride, which is our version of the Saturday Morning World Championship. I've been going on it since '04 when I first got into road riding. Follows the same route every week: there's a neutral rollout from a shop in Midtown, once it gets out to the Garden Highway it's on. There's a sprint at the county line, a regroup, and we bomb along county roads till the final sprint, and then a neutral roll back into town. But it's a different ride every time. Could be an easy spin or a death march, depending on the wind, who shows up, and everybody's fitness (but especially your own).

I get to see my friends, chit-chat on the neutral parts, and put myself in the pain cave as necessary. I get to work on different things (moving around the group, sitting in, going off the front, practicing different race scenarios, etc.), or just to gauge my fitness. Lately, I've had to use all my old dog tricks to stay attached but eventually I'll be dropped consistently and I'll go back to the B ride. I love it.