I got out late today because I had lab earlier. I'm so glad I went! Today's weather was amazing. It was warmer than I anticipated. The winds started from the south. I wore arms, knees, and one base layer. I brought my skull cap, but was nowhere near having to use it. My legs felt good from the start. As usual, I flew to the top of the descent in good time. I descended pedaling diligently. I wanted to keep my legs warm. As I was descending, somewhere past the false flat, a cyclist bridged and passed me on the downhill. He looked to be in better shape than me. I wanted to keep him in sight, so I picked up the pace a bit. When I reached the base, I looked around and couldn't find him. I assumed that he was resting somewhere, waiting a minute or two to give me a head start. (It's what I would have done, probably). I ended up stopping at the Chavez center to remove my leg warmers. As I was finishing, the other cyclist past me. I probably gave up a good 30 seconds. After getting back on the bike, my goal was to see if I could bridge, or at least keep him in sight. Given that he flew past me on the descent, I knew it was a long shot to bridge. This became apparent as I was climbing. I decided the best I could do was to try and keep him in my sights. I was holding high tempo for most of the climb. In and out of the saddle constantly. At times I had to slow the tempo in order to keep from blowing up. All together, I was able to keep him within reasonable sight. The other half of the ride happened as I past the last riser. I was able to spot a windmill at the top of the mountain. It was facing me, which meant that the wind had reversed direction. The wind was minimal at this point. I looked at my computer and realized I was on good time. So, my priority changed. In stead of trying to keep that guy in sight, I wanted to see if I can do a P.B. I kept the tempo high, and I was right. As I made the summit, the wind had changed direction. I took a few seconds to catch my breath, then I charged down the last descent. I was pushing a big gear over Weston and onto home. Concentration today was great. In the zone, almost 100%. Balance and form was good, not great. I'm eager to continue with leg strength exercises. Ailments consisted of lower back pain. Mitigated by stretching on the downhill risers and over the summit. Other notes, the cyclist I crossed paths with as a treat. Something to aim for during the climb.