Fifty Friday

This Ride: 57.9 miles
Kona Distance: 3,095 miles
Month to date: 756.1 miles <– (New monthly personal distance record)
2010 Total: 3,561.4 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (234.5 miles ahead of goal pace)

What a beautiful day! Weather forecasters have said for days that today would be the nicest day of the summer, with lows this morning below 65, highs of around 80 and very low humidity. If anything, it was a little chilly this morning. This was also quite an eventful day for the ride. My goal was to do somewhere between 25 and 50 miles (prepared for 50) and to simply enjoy the ride.  The day did not disappoint.

Six of us gathered at the Rusty Bridge and by 5:47 were off to Annapolis.  Somehow, we kept picking up riders along the way, so that by the time we reached the end of the trail, we had between 10 and 12 riders, with 6 of us continuing to Annapolis, and only 4 for breakfast.  Great conversation makes the time go by quickly.  On the way back, we pressed it a bit on B&A Blvd, and also slowed to tell another rider about the SPP.  As the three others split off to go home, I continued on with the Airport loop planned, since I felt so good.

Around the airport, I startled 2 deer (I’ve seen 5 this week) who were on the trail and no doubt heard my creaky bike about the same time they saw me coming around a curve.  Traffic on the Airport loop was light.  I really didn’t press it on the loop, just continued to enjoy the ride.  I did spend a little time recalling my first time around the airport, what an accomplishment it was.  Now it is simply pretty routine and it seems like it is a lot shorter than it once was.

Just as I was slowing down for a bit of a cool-down as I approached the turn off for home, Shelly, a large man on an old Raleigh caught up to me completely out of breath, and counted that as a great accomplishment.  He indicated that he had been to the SPP website and had seen the group riding past his house often and wondered if he would be able to keep up.  I added a mile to my ride on the trail as we talked, encouraging him along the way.  He commented on how much easier it was to ride with someone else, and I told him more about the rides that might suit him.  At Robinson Road, he split off for home, I turned around and headed home also, adding the loop around my house just because I was feeling strong and thought the extra three miles would be a nice cool down.

In some ways, I’m surprised that this was a good ride.  I’ve got some lung congestion and coughing up some crud with color.  No speed records were set.  I still have a lot of energy and am looking forward to some work around the house this afternoon.  Past 30 day mileage = 810.  I’m on track and planning for an excess of 800 miles in August, and may even be able to accomplish something like 850.  I’m also starting to look at my plans for September as I move into the final month before the Seagull Century.  I’ve yet to set my goals for that ride.  A few months ago, the goal was to finish it.  Now the decision is about how fast to finish the ride.