solo riding

With iPod I travel. Well, it's an MP3 player...so same deal. I took myself downtown yesterday for a long stretch in the saddle. 4:55:?? and 56 miles later, I'm amazingly not that sore today. Thought I might be feeling it more, as this is one of the longest rides I've completed in a long time due to the crappy weather we've had of late. This was the first of my March Madness rides, the long hard rides that will lead me into April taper for my first event.

The weather was gorgeous...sunny with just enough wind to keep things from getting too warm. I have some serious glove, shorts and jersey tanlines going on...I'm sure they'll make their way into a pic soon.

Some random thoughts as the MP3 player went thrice through its rotation and I racked up miles on the road, the dirt and the grass:

1. Don't even attempt to ride the riverwalk on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It's crowded with ill-mannered kids and overweight folks who think they own the walk path and give you dirty looks when you deign to go offroad to get around their trail-hogging persons.

2. Parking garages are fun...but be prepared for the occasional homeless person having a nap on a nice piece of cardboard. Comfy!

3. It's nice to feel completely safe in Central City Park, but at the same time it's creepy to realize how many men are out there cruising for cheap, illicit thrills with other men. Blarghhhh.

4. People will look at you funny when they're stuffing their faces at a picnic table and you're coming around for your third, fourth or fifth assault on the levy.

5. Parents who let their children ride without helmets should be admonished loudly. There is a law, you know.

6. Parents who let their kids mow people down on their big wheels should be admonished even more loudly. Luckily I could nip offroad and didn't have to mow down any toddlers on principle.

7. A good MP3 rotation will get you through just about anything. Thanks to Weezer, Utah Saints, Stellastarr*, Cruiserweight, Lords of Acid and many, many more...