They predicted rain today. When I got up, I looked out the window and the sky looked clear. So, I had breakfast and then took a quick nap. When I got up, the clouds were starting to roll in. Some of them looked dark. I made the choice to go. I wore the standard winter kit. The temperature was in the 40’s. Mild winds from the North West. The legs felt average to start, perhaps a bit heavy. I made it to the summit of OTR in average time. The Banducci Wall had some traffic mitigation, so I was on high alert. The remainder of the climb was mostly moderate tempo. After reaching the summit, I pulled over to take a few moments to recover. I hydrated, let traffic by and then headed down the mountain. It was mostly safe. The wind was modest, so I wasn’t getting knocked around. After making it to the base, I headed to Stallion Springs. It was a pretty quick leg. I made my way around the backside and then the downhill. I put in a good sprint along the way. I stopped at the local park for a quick bio break. I made it to the tunnel in about 1:05 hours. I zipped through the town and then made my way back on the farmlands. I kept the tempo moderate. At this time, I had my Garmin GPS pace partner going at 14 MPH. I was trying to see if I could beat it by the time I got back home. The farmlands went uneventful. I made it to Boss Hogs in about 1:30 hours. So, I gave up about an hour since SS. The last climb went well. The legs were feeling a bit heavy at this point. But I had enough in the tank to keep the momentum going. After making it to the summit, I eased up and made my way to OTR. OTR had some traffic mitigation half way to the intersection. I slowed down and stayed right to let traffic by. From that point on, it was mostly fun and games descending OTR. I pushed over Mariposa and put in a dig to the top of Weston. I shut short after.

Concentration was good. Minimal lapses, some gremlins here and there. I was a bit impatient at times, but not so much. Ailments were minimal. I started with a slightly sore right knee. It subsided in about 10 minutes or so from the start of the ride. It was hinting on soreness on the last half of the ride but never escalated. The hands were sore at times but didn’t have the sensation of numbness. Balance and form was good. Gear held up perfectly. Nutrition was good. I drank all of my sport drink and a bit of water. No feeding. Other notes, no cyclists or runners today.