It is on the cool side. I woke up an hour later than anticipated. After having breakfast, I stepped outside to see what the weather was like. It's in the 60's. Winds from the North West. Ideal for a Keene ride. I wore the standard summer kit with arms, thick base layer and a head cap. I doubled up on the arms with my arm coolers underneath. The legs felt pretty good to start. I stopped at the mail locker to stash my extra water bottle and powder drink. I was good to go by the time I reached the top of the descent. I made it there in average time. I was in no hurry. I pulled over to put my head cap on. I cruised the downhill and put in to digs on the risers. After reaching the base (in average time), I headed back. It took about a mile for the legs and mind to settle in. I had a few things to think about, and that made time pass just a bit easier. So did the landmarks. I kept the tempo steady, no heroics. I alternated between in and out of the saddle efforts. After passing the Loop Monument, my patience was feeling better. Much better after making it past the second dip. I kept my momentum going over the top without red-lining it too much. After cresting the summit, I took a few moments to recover. Then I headed to the mail locker to mix a sport drink. From there, I headed to OTR. The legs were warm, so I was in my comfort zone very quickly. After making it to the summit, I pulled over to feed a Clif Bar. Then I headed back home. I pushed over Mariposa and the dig to the top of Weston where I shut it down.

Concentration was good. I kept my patience in check. I had few lapses and no gremlins to speak of. Ailments were minimal. Some hand soreness. I think my knees hinted on mild soreness on a few occasions, but never escalated. Nutrition was good. I had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I fed a Clif Bar with water during the ride. I drank about one and half bottles of sport drink. Gear worked flawlessly. As I promised myself, I re-torqued the seat post yesterday. It didn't make a difference with respect to the mystery clicks that persist. So, that leaves one place to check and that is the crankset. Other notes, no cyclists today but there were some friendly motorists and motor-cyclists.