I had unfinished business today. I had to scrap the Keene ride on the last time I got out. So, it was a no brainer, go to Keene. The weather is on the cold side. In the mid 40’s, favorable winds from the North West. I wore the entire winter kit. I had to feed a banana and some grapes before the ride as I felt a bit lightheaded and lacking in energy. The legs felt pretty good to start, perhaps a tad on the heavy side. I made it to the summit of the descent in good average time. I cruised the downhill and put in two digs on the risers. I didn’t bother checking the time when I reached the base. When I got there, I spared no time and headed back. There was a nice tailwind, so the miles was accompanied by manageable suffering. I kept all my layers on. The miles went quickly. I had stuff to think about along the way. The landmarks helped as I counted them off. The morale got better as the ride progressed and the body was responding well. I was doing in and out of the saddle efforts most of the way up. There was some traffic mitigation from behind, so I was on 6 O’clock alert most of the time. After reaching the summit, I took a few moments to recover while on the bike. Then I headed back home. I shut it down at the top of Weston.

Concentration was good. My patience was in check. I had minimal lapses and no gremlins to speak of. Balance and form was good. Ailments were minimal. Some hand numbness and occasional right knee soreness. The knee soreness was mitigated by using an easier gear at a higher cadence while alternating in and out of the saddle efforts. Nutrition was good. I’m glad I fed before the ride because I was a bit lightheaded to start. Gear worked flawlessly. Other notes, no cyclists or tourists at the Loop Monument today.