Nov. 15th, and planning a long ride

Check back later...this is truly incredible, high in the mid 60s on Nov. 15th in Ithaca. I'm going for a long ride today up to King Ferry. Should be some great views of the lake. Bringing the camera too. Never again will I write something like "last ride of the year." Or maybe I should, since it seems to guarantee that I'll be wrong. While I don't subscribe to paranoid views that this is a clear sign of global warming, this would clearly be the up-side!

Praising the Cycling Goddess

Today I'm praising the cycling goddess once again. Here we are in November, and I was lucky enough to go on a 40 mile ride WITH SHORTS ON! No freezing fingers or toes, no more leaves on the trees, and gorgeous sunshine. It was a transcendent and somewhat unreal experience. A few weeks ago I thought I was done with the long road rides and for sure I wouldn't be riding on Ringwood Rd. again until the springtime.

Memorable moment in today's ride was when a tiny puppy (Jack Russell Terrier?) decided to chase me. The foot-long dog managed to chase me for only about 30 ft., and the dog's owner freaked and called out its name. For many miles afterwards I kept speculating about what the name was. I heard either Owen, Rodent, of Flovent. I wanted to head back and ask to resolve the confusion. Rodent would be an awesome name for a pet, no? And if you were an asthma sufferer, Flovent would be a constant reminder of your condition. Owen is OK, but not that interesting, so I vote for Rodent.

Data: 40 miles, 17.3 mph, approx. 2250 vertical ft. ascent, avg. 144 BPM.