If I were an old-timey figure-skating judge, I would give this weekend a 6 (a first-place ordinal!), it was just that good. Yesterday the Team went up to Rome, GA for Up the Creek Without a Pedal, an annual ride that is both incredibly well organized and supported. The Team does this ride so that new cyclists have the valuable experience of a mass start and riding with non-GA-TNT-trained cyclists before event weekend. I had the pleasure of riding with J, J, A, K, and C for the whole 68 + 3-mile ride.
Let me tell you, despite the knot in my back and my crabbiness from having fitfully slept only 4 hours (on the couch) the night before, and despite the on-again, off-again drizzle and driving rain, it was a great ride. Possibly the best ride I've had in years. I was worried that I would be inside my head and be General Crankypants, but I wasn't (maybe I was outwardly, but I didn't FEEL like it). We just rode, and I wasn't thinking about pace or anything else, especially after I got to pee at the first SAG. It was an amazing day, and I could have kept going for quite some time after.
Strava details (excluding the +3 miles because they were on a path and dropped my average, which I just couldn't abide) are here.
===
This morning's ride was another perfect day. I got to ride with L (who was on a recovery day, having done 105+3 yesterday at 18+ mph) and D, who also had a stellar ride in the rain. We didn't dawdle, but we didn't hammer it out. I was in a great mood. I've been in a great mood since getting on the bike yesterday morning. I wonder if this is what it's like to be done with school. I'm not carefree (I need a job), but the constant anxiety of teaching and dissertation and that pressing anxiety is gone, and I wonder if that's the difference. I have just been very happy this weekend after the rides, happier than I've been after rides in a long time.
Strava details are here.
It could, of course, simply be that I had the perfect weekend. Good for me.
