On our way!
We picked up the bikes yesterday after their big tune-ups, so took them out for a “big ride” today. We returned to a favorite ride from last year – the one along the W&OD trail from Andrew’s work to Asburn. It was a bit chilly this morning – about 55° F when we left, but a nice change from our 90° rides last summer. (We’ll be back to those soon enough.)
My bike felt great! I should have had a tune-up last year, but kept putting it off because I didn’t want to leave my bike with them for a week. The more fool I. Next time, I’m going to get it to them as soon as I think it needs it. This ride was easier than I remembered it being last year. Now, I realize that I’ve done the ride before, so that could be part of it, but this was our first time on that part of the trail this year. In fact, it’s only our third time out on the bikes. I have not been keeping up with exercising over the winter as much as I should have, and certainly not enough to have made this ride *that* much easier. No, I think it’s because I was riding last year with my brake partially engaged part of the time – of course it’s going to be easier.
One other thing I noticed in the last two weekends is that when I’m biking I crave orange juice. Not juice in general, not sugar, but orange juice. I’m not sure why that would be. Usually if I’m craving sugar, it’s in the form of chocolate or something really bad for me. Sure, I’m thirsty on the trail, but why not water, then? Or full-test Coke? Nope. Orange juice. Not that I’m complaining. It just seems weird.
My goal for this year is 30 miles (though I really think we can make 35 if we tried). But I also want to work on a goal for doing longer rides two days in a row. Usually, if we do a long ride (i.e. about 20 or more), we’re fairly wiped out for the rest of the day of the ride, and a bit lazy the next (if we ride, it’s something shorter). I’d like for us to bike to the end of the W&OD trail, stay at Creek Crossing Farm, where we honeymooned, and then return the next day (or maybe two days later) – that will require two 25-mile rides in a row. I think by Fall we can do it.
Total miles: 17.2
Weekend miles: 17.2
Season miles: 35.8
