Today was an incremental increase in mileage. I went to the top of Banducci, then came back and went to Keene and back. The legs felt pretty good to start. Perhaps a bit on the cold side. I felt better when I made it to OTR. I reached the summit of OTR in good average time. The climb up Banducci had minimal traffic mitigation, so I was able to focus on the task at hand. More of the same to the summit. I was trying to micromanage my energy. When I made it to the summit of Banducci, I pulled over to recover, hydrate, let traffic by, and then headed down the mountain. It was all downhill till I got back to OTR and Mariposa. I kept the tempo steady over Mariposa, no red-lining it. From there, I headed back to the mail lockers where I stashed my extra bottles. I filled one bottle and put the extra in my saddle bag. After the pit stop, I made my way to the summit of the descent. The downhill was mostly cruising. I did a modest push on the risers. After reaching the base, I decided to stop at the Chavez center to refuel. Water and a Clif Bar. I got back on the road and made my way out of the “gauntlet”. I forgot to pit stop at my usual spot. I found an alternative and took a quick bio. From there, it was non-stop climbing. The legs felt good. Just the usual sensation of fatigue. The landmarks went quick. I had my patience game going on. I was doing the numbers and estimated the time to the summit. It kept me distracted from the suffering. Turns out that I was within a minute of my estimation. After making it to the summit, I took a few moments to recover before making my way back home. I stopped at the mail locker to gather my belongings and headed back up Weston where I shut it tdown.
Concentration was good. Patience felt good. I was a bit reluctant to get up after my nap, but managed to do it. I had minimal lapses and no gremlins today. Balance and form was good. Ailments were minimal. The legs cooperated. I felt the usual sensation of fatigue. Some hand numbness as well. Nutrition was good. I decided to feed a Clif Bar at the Chavez center on the way back from Keene. I mixed a bottle of powder drink. Altogether, I drank about 3 full bottles of fluids. Gear worked flawlessly. No mystery clicks today. Other notes, no cyclists today. There was a swarms of birds in the sky, apparently feeding or something similar. It was a spectacle.