It's steadily getting warmer. In the mid 70's now. Clear skies and Winds from the North West. I wore the standard summer kit. No arm coolers, yet. I felt pretty good from the start. Making it to the summit of the descent in good average time. I was able to cruise the downhill. Not much traffic mitigation. I put in digs over the two risers. When I was approaching the gauntlet (on the descent), I think one of my quads had a hint of soreness from the digs I put in. I was wondering if it would escalate. It didn't. I reached the base and headed back, no hesitation. It was warm, but not scorching. I was comfortable most of the time. I wasn't going through my bottles quick, either. I kept my tempo steady. Out of the saddle a lot. And alternating between adjacent gears. Slow RPM vs faster RPM. I did this for most of the climb. The landmarks ticked over quickly. My mind wasn't wandering, either. I kept reminding myself that it was just going to get easier after the second dip. I was also thinking about the GranFondo. Being that I'm going to do the 52 Mi ride, at this point, would be the last climb. I could put in as much effort as I did today, if not more. I reached the summit in good time. Concentration felt good. Few lapses. I had stuff to think about that kept the morale going. Ailments, right hand numbness while out of the saddle for extended periods of time. Balance and form was good. Gear worked great. No mystery noises from the bike! I think it was the bottom bracket, as that was the last thing I serviced. Other notes, no other cyclists. Some people at the Loop Monument.