At long last, I was able to break the 50 mark. For a while there, it wasn’t looking very promising. When I tried to get up into Douglaston, I found the path blocked by a utility truck. I thought I was going to have to content myself with a 40 mile ride. However, after returning from Malba, the truck was gone, so I could make my way up into Douglaston. The weather of late has been remarkably cool and autumnal. Today’s partly cloudy skies became mostly overcast, with low clouds threatening rain. With temps in the low 70s, low humidity, and a light westerly wind, it made for a very pleasant ride. Some odd things unfolded on this ride. I had not one, but two people who asked me where the local train station was when I was riding around Douglaston. And then, after returning from Douglas I decided to go north on the Cross Island path where I began riding with a middle-aged guy on an absolutely beautiful, rose colored Motobecane down-tube-shifter bike. We talked for a bit, and then we said our goodbyes at the ramp crossover from the parkway. Unfortunately, once I started to climb up the hill from the parkway, my left quad started cramping. I became somewhat alarmed because I still had a few miles left to the ride in some considerable traffic. Luckily, the cramp eased after a bit, and I was able to make my way home without incident. All in all, a great ride, and I finally logged some serious miles in preparation for the big ride in July.