Need for Speed? Adventures in the Mundane

I wanted to go fast.

I've been riding lately, but I haven't felt "fast" in awhile.

This could be do to the race season being over for me, as well as the actual changing of the seasons, with wet leaves, cooler temps, and shorter days.

I made a point of not stuffing myself at work. In "season" with racing and commuting I can't eat enough. I once tried to calculate the amount of calories I was shoving in my pie hole on a typical Summer work day and stopped counting somewhere North of 3200 calories. Now's the time to break those eating habits.

Got out early enough to do the regular "New Old Skool Loop" at the res. before darkness. But in the rush to get out I left my "in truck" water bottle "in shop", so my usual pre-hydration would have to be done on the bike.

My shoes were still nice and swampy from the stream crossings and one axle deep puddle out at Nassahegan on Sunday.

Sweet!

Other than that things started well enough. The slight climb right out of the lot that usually saps my strength on cold legs was remarkably easy. Cleaned the first "Challenge Stage", then coming around to the fence line I scared the living shiite out of an Asian lady trying not to startle her. She was either really shaken or English is not quite a second language.

Okay, back on track, climb the fence line just fine, clean the first of a zillion downed trees (Connecticut is the deadfall capitol of New England), dab on the next challenge, but that's okay, with the leaves, I haven't been making that lately.

Power up to the powerlines, make the gravel climb, things are starting to gel again, on to the "Kerry Trail" (note to self stay off Kerry trail, it's a fooking mess), clean more logs, do some math, descend to the levees, politely pass a rider, back into the woods I make the first half of the enter /exit challenge over the washed out roots, but end up hoofing the rocks at the top of the climb. Par for the course.

The Antler trail is cleaned with the exception of Stumpy's Switchback, couple more logs and up to the East fence line for the descent to the lot. Turn a corner and a poodle makes his great escape under the fence and starts chasing me. Usually dogs will get bored chasing me soon enough, but "Bogey" likes the taste of freedom, and is going to follow me to the ends of the earth. I have to stop, and ride him back to his hole to be scolded for such antics.

Okay, back to the descent, I'm loving the fork on this bike, log walk goes alright, I have to launch before the end, but if anyone was there to see, I could get away with saying "I meant to do that", Log Pile Grande"... Doh! Now I have to redeem myself on his little friend... Rats!

Only a little more trail until I'm back on pavement, slow to politely pass a guy with a rear blinky in the woods(?), pass his friends waiting for him, back to the fireroad hug the right side to give a milf walking her dog plenty of room, back into the woods to "my own little slice of heaven", back onto the pavement, slowed by a car? Why is this old man signaling on a straight road?
Only 15 seconds faster than last week?

Maybe it's was the conditions, maybe the traffic, maybe I needed this song in my head and ended up with this one in my head, maybe it was my protein packed legs last week, but I somehow feel let down.
Probably should just enjoy the ride.