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.