Spring in November

No photos today although I did regret not taking my camera at the end. The last two days have seen most unusual weather for New Jersey in November. Yesterday hit 70 with full sun all day and today was high sixties with just a few scattered clouds. I blew and raked leaves on Saturday, dragging them out to the curb so that I could establish a clear conscience and the right to ride. Yesterday was a forty mile day and I was comfortable in shorts and jersey. And since it was Sunday there were also a ton of cyclists on the roads. I was riding alone but part of the fun is being able to wave at others and be a part of the crowd. At one point yesterday I was climbing a long-ish kind of hill and caught up with another guy, probably about my age, and gave him a "howyadoin" as I passed him. I paused at the top for a drink and a fig newton. And as he paused a moment before passing he said he had had a fall a couple of weeks ago and was still struggling with the effort of getting back into the cycling...I could only say "I know how you feel" and more than you might guess. And so today - another perfect day - I went out with Tom, first time I've ridden with anybody since I've been back on the bike. I have just needed to do my own pace, be able to pick my routes according to how I feel, and to pack it in when I felt like it. So this morning I put on my XC jersey and took off. I knew Tom wasn't going to push but still, I felt the need to ride a respectable pace and choose a decent route. We ended up wandering over some familiar roads, picking up a couple of new ones, and finally going after the more challenging (hill) portion of Lindberg road. And it turned out to be a great ride...no pain, I could hold my own on both pace and the hills and we did a respectable 44 miles. Although, to be completely honest, I do come home and grab a couple of Advil, my new best friend, before I head for the shower. And I think I will now have a couple or three days of no riding no matter the weather. Tomorrow I have a meeting with our eye doc for cataract surgery. He makes it sound very routine but I suspect I will be taking a couple days hiatus from the bike...