The Hunger

Yesterday I traversed the Arlington wineglass loop for the third time this month. This is generally a pretty low key ride but there's a section along Route 66 on the Custis Trail that always picks up intensity. The past few times I've been there I've had the advantage of being baited by some lycra-clad, type A, racer folk. I always fall for it. Yesterday there was no carrot however, and it resulted in a slightly mellower ride back over to the District. I've been epically busy, and I feel like if I haven't been working or sleeping I've been on my bike. I found myself pretty tired after the first 20 or so miles yesterday. So, I tucked into the wind along the upward-tilted Capital Crescent Trail and as a co-worker and fellow avid cyclist and runner likes to put it, fought the good fight.

I was ecstatic when I learned yesterday morning that the Birchmere, where I was slated to see Doc Watson perform last night, was fully accessible by bike trail. This added another 25 miles to my day, which topped out at 55. Now I've got the hunger.

Old Standby

We're down to the last month of summer, and the temperatures are finally headed downward. I'm back to some semblance of structured "training" as the Seagull Century approaches. To finish a century ride is well within my grasp, as I've done them in the past (unofficially) without trouble. Hopefully this doesn't come across as bragging, but rather an admission to myself that this won't be much of a challenge.

It's been an interesting past few months, and many realizations about training and things in general have come to fruition. I don't have time to delve into this at the moment, but I hope to come back to it soon.

Yesterday my calendar called for a 40-miler on my fixie. I couldn't be bothered to plan a route ahead of time so I just went with the old standby Valley Forge route (I happened to be visiting Maia in Philly this weekend). This is easy enough on a bike with gears, as the trail is flat as a pancake and there are only a few hills through Manayunk. With a single gear and no freewheel, however, it gets more interesting. Certainly an exercise in concentration, and I like to think of it as having neuromuscular benefits as well. All that fast spinning kind of makes you hyper aware of the cycling motion in a way that tends toward a more efficient stroke.

Got out there quicker than I got back and realized this was mostly due to the wind. Great ride altogether and I'm looking forward to more of the same in the coming months.