I'm trying to get out earlier, now that the heat is on its way. Today was no acception. It wasn't exactly blazing, but it was in the mid 80's or so. I felt the heat on the open road, just passed the loop monument, on the ascent. I started out very conservative to the top of the climb, before the descent. And I cruised the downhill. The trip back wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. My legs felt pretty fresh. My lower back is still sore, but mostly when I'm off the bike. For some (good) reason, it hasn't been hindering my training much. My right hand was a little bit more of an issue than usual. Near the end of the downhill, it started to go a little numb (ever so slightly). The return trip was a little more pronounced. I was constantly shaking it and shifting my position on the bars. The numbness never got that bad, but it was noticable. My conentration was good for the most part, but there were some areas where I lapsed and had to regain focus, my walkman helped a bit in that respect. I did good tempo on the return trip. It was a steady effort for the most part, with 2 digs, on the monument and over the top. Other than that, it was about staying in my limits. I need to let my body acclimate (sp?) to the heat over the next few weeks. Balance was good today as well. It really is better than the past where I really struggled to get my legs equally ticking over and in synch. My rides are much more enjoyable now that I have that dialed in. The bike is working great, some creaks here and there, but just real slight. I need to reseat the skeweres. Been neglecting that. The new shorts are working great, I think it has just the right amount of chamois. The only con that I can think of, is that it makes that sight slippage noise. Like rubbing a finger on a clean wine glass.