This morning, predawn into dawn, 16.4 miles at 29F. Testing new gloves trying to find something both waterproof and warm, but these aren't doing the job. I switched back to my hydrophilic old ski mittens for the return trip.

Yesterday morning at dawn 13miles after rain passed, with wet ground and a few spitting drops still coming down.

Not looking good for the next few days.

6.3 miles , back on the old Hardrock.

Yesterday, my fourth day riding in a row, feeling distinctly worn, started as a low-intensity ride to the greenway. 15mph+ headwinds, PR not set. Stretching under the shelter by the greenway, I heard some "yutes" whooping and hollering behind some trees. I was getting a little paranoid and starting to think about options (not that I needed to), out there by myself in the dark, when I made out distant bike lights tracking across out on the highway. Six or seven of them, moving fast, whooping because they were hauling ass downwind and having a blast. I guess the wind carried their voices, because they weren't that close. I decided that looked like too much fun to miss and gave chase. I was probably a half mile behind and never did catch them -- I think they turned off -- although I followed for a couple miles, going like hell with the wind. Those were the tenth through sixteenth other riders I've ever seen in a decade of living up here in farmland. One reassuring thing was how easy it was to make out their tail lights, they were quite visible even at a distance in the dark.

So anyway that's how my easy ride turned into a real one. 18 miles, 60F and short sleeves, much further north than I intended before turning and hauling upwind for home. I saw a young skunk, just a little puffball, literally bouncing across the road in the wind.

Also, the day before, an "NPR Morning Edition Ride", also 18 miles, 36F, also predawn into dawn, dropping a book at the library then going out for a couple hours of unstructured play, just going where I felt like. The benefit of it being the third day of riding in a row was being already warmed up, mentally and physically. The highlight was passing a *long* line of stopped traffic on the highway then weaving across to make the left into my neighborhood.

Now the rain is here and I'm taking a rest!

5.5 miles early this morning, around the neighborhood, in a drizzle , before the rain ran me back home .

Debating whether to get in an outdoor ride before the rain resumes, or hop on the trainer for an FTP test. Winds are gusting to 20+ knots. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Update: I decided to put a better saddle on the Fuji Touring and give it a spin. I noticed the stem slightly askew, and so attempted to straighten it. Alas, it, like the seatpost, is stuck fast! Guess it will be a donor bike after all. Lol

Today afternoon (local time, CET+1) I ride 18,2 km, about 11 miles, in a natural park near my home, really nice wheater, sunny and temperature about 12 C°,
regards
Andrea

https://www.strava.com/activities/30...DwSSTArnXWsGUI Kicked my behind. The bottoms of my feet and my calves are buzzing still (minor spasms).

Just finished a Zwift group ride with my wife and two other people. Did 32 miles on the Everything Bagel route in Zwift's NYC world. We climbed almost 2700 feet on the ride, so it was a good effort.

15 miles this morning, in mist and dampness on the RS900, with a 20-minute FTP test. I just couldn't maintain the effort for 30, as my HR was hovering at 180 bpm. Average power was 182 watts, down from the summer but not as bad as I'd imagined. At least I have something more than guesswork for training now.

Beautiful day in NC.....sunny and blue skies.....60 degree temperatures. I had to get out and bump up my average miles per ride. It had dropped to 80 miles per ride so got in another 100 miler with close to 5000’ of hills.

10.1 miles on my old Schwinn CrissCross hybrid. Sunny and mid 60’s as I finished up.

This is starting to be the norm now: cold, damp, but sunny 23-miler this morning:
IMG_1504 by 2cam16, on Flickr

5.1 miles between showers . Hate to ride on wet roads , but needed to get out .

Welp, as predicted, one of the dogs at the two-dog gauntlet got hit while he was chasing me yesterday morning. (That day it was actually a three-dog gauntlet, apparently there's a new doggy friend at the house, and they were both chasing me. No, this isn't the owner I talked to before, this is the other house.)

It happened behind me, so I didn't see it, but I heard two solid thumps. I expect it was when he was breaking off and giving up the chase, going wide as he turned and into the other lane When I looped back he and his dog-buddy were sitting in the ditch next to the road, one of them looking very unhappy and scared. No outward signs of damage, but one rear leg was maybe more visible than it should have been, like he didn't want to put weight on it as he sit. It was an SUV with ground clearance that hit him so I think he went under the center rather than being under a wheel. The driver didn't stop. I went back to the house and got the owner, a nice lady who seemed like she had neither the time nor the money to deal with this as she came out with a sheet to wrap up her dog and take him home.

I feel sick over it because it was 100% predictable and in fact I was thinking about that scenario not 60 seconds prior. I could have gone back to their house with both in trail and made the owner take them in. My head keeps categorizing this as "I hit a dog".

Anyway, this makes pressing the matter with the other owner a lot easier.

I hate to see animals get hurt, but it’s not your fault.

Yeah, thanks. It's not my dog, and the owner is required to keep them in the yard.

Partly cloudy and 49 degrees F. Since I hadn't been out once since the start of the year, even when it was warmer, I just had to take a ride. It felt good.

Up in the hills this morning for some hills and gravel:
IMG_1525 by 2cam16, on Flickr
IMG_1528 by 2cam16, on Flickr

47 miles with 2600’ of hills.

38 degrees at the start of my ride this morning. It was wet from all the rain we had yesterday so the beater bike got 25 miles in:
IMG_1547 by 2cam16, on Flickr

Nice looking bike .

10.1 miles on the Schwinn Crisscross. Cloudy , and windy , low 50’s . Felt cooler .

Thanks! It's just my wet weather beater that I built from my parts bin.

Short 5.2 mile sprint trying to beat the rain this morning ,upper 40’s , cloudy and windy. Enough to get my face windburned and sweaty inside my jacket . Haven’t got the cold weather wear figured out yet .
I should probably just wait for the warmer sunny days , but what fun would that be .

Didn't ride. Was icy and not sure it got up to 30 F. Yesterday was ice and freezing rain, sleet, whatever, just not snow. Would rather see snow. I can eventually dig out of snow. Be Well, Bluesfrog.