Think it's important to elate here that my own ultimate bicycling aspirations are not about becoming a Time Trialer but they're not about relying on bike paths and social coffee for my rides either. Today's ride was among the most important of my development because I issued self challenge. I'm fairly certain I was in the right frame of mind today because of the Sox winning the American League 2013 the night previous ("Victorino Is Ours!" said one clever banner at Fenway), but the morning started with a flat tire loading up bike on car from garage. So, with SF of BBZ's assistance (more him than me, but I'll get there), a tube was replaced and I was put on notice that tires needed to be changed-rotated. Anyway, the idea of taking both a handwritten cue sheet with the Garmin (Old School holding hands with New School) went into effect today as new ritual. My self-laid gauntlet today was to basically treat these 56 K's like a randonneur, so negotiated Express (followed out the A's with a pack of B's) route cleanly, stopped when I needed to or wanted to instead of relying on regroups (using bike karma to offer assistance in passing to those with chain problems or, one guy, nosebleed) and basically pedaled A to B in a constant cadence fashion. I may end up being Red Lantern in future Randonneur Events or even in other rides in my future, but it felt good to start proclaiming without saying a word that I was ready to start riding my own ride in a group setting instead of a relying on a sort of philoso-social drafting.