FROZEN

Brrrrr. It was a cold start to the ride AGAIN, what was up with this weather? Perhaps Fall got a little ahead of itself.

Considering the beautiful weather on Saturday, I was curious who would show up for the Sunday recovery mixer. It turned out to be Mr reliable, Vic and a new recruit Shane. Both were filled with optimism and ready to ride. It was decided that an out and back would be the course of the day and with that the 3 riders pulled out of the parking lot.

As we started on the road out of Preston, it was learned that Vic had completed a 100 mile Century ride the day before and was ready to add to his war chest with the Sunday ride. I told Vic he was my hero and that he encapsulated what I wanted to be when I grow up.

And Shane, our new recruit ---- revealed that he was 15 or 16 years of age. When he made this confession, I thought about what I was doing at age 15/16 and I believe it involved watching Beavis and Butthead. I was not focused and committed to anything to the degree that Shane was, and I could see that this was a young man with a bright future in whatever he decided to pursue.

The 3 riders made their way through Carpenter Firestation huddled together to fight off the bursts of chilly wind. It seemed more like early November than early October, and we all felt like dedicated cyclists for riding on such a frigid morning.

The Cyclists turned left at the CVS, bypassing Cary park to try and keep the hills at bay. However, with a quick burst of speed the riders shot up the small undulation of Green Level Church, over toward Morrisville Parkway and out to the Berry Patch. Each person took meaty rotating turns at the front, keeping the speed solid and reflexes sharp. Shane showed great cycling courage with several large pulls and Vic demonstrated that he had bottomless endurance. At the midpoint, the dynamic few-o put the ride on cruise control and chatted about cycling, weather, current events with a few select moments of banter seasoned in.

A great ride was had by all at 32 miles with an 18.5 mph pace.