Today was my last "big" training ride till next weekend's Spooktacular ride. The body is doing good. I had oatmeal for breakfast. It's been proven to keep the GI under control while providing sufficient nutrients. I got the clothing right. I wore arm coolers, knee warmers and a skull cap. I folded a piece of newspaper into my jersey.

I was practicing using the Komoot navigation app using my smartphone paired to the music speaker via bluetooth. My finding was that it was unreliable. Partially due to the fact that I created the route, not knowing if I did it right. So, come Spooktacular ride, I'll use it, but won't rely on its accuracy. I can always bring out the phone and look at the map. I now have my turn by turn directions taped to the handlebars. It looks like it's going to work as intended. I was also keeping track of the electronics' charge. My watch was low on battery before I left, and so was the GPS. So, I put them on charge for about 15 minutes before departing. The smartphone went from 89% to 45%. The GPS 75% to 39% (with the backlight turned all the way down). Given the figures, all things being equal, it's going to work like a charm. I have to keep an eye on the camera. Sometimes it fails to start recording after having been shut off. The trick is to remove the internal battery, disconnect the external battery, put the battery back in and start the camera. Will have to see the footage. Best thing to do is just leave the camera rolling.

About the ride. I brough 4 bottles of drinks. I stashed the bottles and a few Clif Bars into the mail locker and headed to OTR. The legs felt good. I made it to the end of OTR in good average time. The wind was in my favor. Mild and from the North West (mostly). After reaching the summit of OTR, I pulled over to remove my knee warmers, head cap, and the newspaper in my jersey. From there, I got back on the road and headed to WS. I was experiencing slight saddle soreness on the left glute. It never escalated, but was noticeable. I stopped once to take a bio brake a few hundred yards from WS. After making it to WS, I checked the electronics and headed back. Everything was in check. The return trip went relatively quick. I was doing over 15MPH most of the time. The next major climb was the Banducci Wall. It had some traffic mitigation, so I was on high alert. The legs were responding well. After making it over the Banducci Wall, I headed up Arosa. The climb went quick. (In the meantime, I was listening to the navigation instructions from Komoot. It was way off. Not even close. It was telling me to take turns where there were no other streets. So, if this is how it's going to be, then I will rely on the ground markings and my instructions on the handlebars. No doubt, will stop once in a while to check the map. Otherwise, all went well. I made my way around the backside and to the summit of Banducci. After reaching the summit, I pulled over and took a few moments to rest. I checked the electronics and then headed back down the mountain. The return on OTR was mostly fun and games. I made my way to the mail locker, swapped out my bottles and stashed the extra layers I removed earlier. From there, I headed to Keene. The legs were good. The wind was in my favor. I stopped at the summit to feed a Clif Bar. I put in two digs over the risers. The legs didn't cramp. I stopped once to bio and then headed to the base. After reaching the base, I checked the electronics and headed back. Everything was looking good. The saddle soreness went away, to my surprise. The ascension went as planned. I concentrated on the landmarks, listed to some music and kept an eye on the Komoot navigation. Again, the navigation was off by a long shot. The wind was in my favor, so the return trip was quick. The legs were good. The morale felt better and better. I kept the momentum going over the top. After cresting the summit, I headed back to the mail lockers where I grabbed my belongings and headed back home. I shut it down at the top of Weston. Concentration was good. Minimal lapses and minimal gremlins. Patience got better as the ride progressed. Balance and form was good. Ailments, some saddle soreness, hand numbness. The legs felt good. nutrition was good. I fed one Clif Bar and most of my sport drink. Gear worked flawless. Other notes, I saw 5 or 6 cyclists today.

Other notes, there was a big crowd at the Loop Monument as I was descending.