Cruise Control

Not really though.  Since last weekend Anne and I have spent some time trying to focus on recovery but not really getting in enough sleep.  It seems our beloved dog, Lucky, is hell bent on waking us up in the middle of the night scratching around in the kitchen for some unknown reason.  I'm a heavy sleeper so Anne is usually burdened with having to answer Lucky's call, but lately it's been so bad that both of us have had to take turns attending to the pup.  It's like having a kid already!

Anyway, I managed to get out on the road bike this past Thursday for the first time since we've relocated to VA.  In a word: Magnificent.  I started to become less and less a fan of the road bike back when we were on Long Island, first and foremost because of the boredom.  And secondly, it was just damned dangerous with all the crazy drivers there.  Down here though, the roads are beautiful (not only scenic but actually paved well!) and the drivers seem to have a much better attitude toward cyclists.  That's still to say, there are some douchey drivers and sure fire assholes out there, but pound for pound, Virginia drivers seem to be a whole lot more pleasant than Long Island drivers.

The ride took me out to some of the beautiful country roads, dipped down into Charlottesville for a water stop, and back out to our home in Earlysville.  It was around 100k and while I enjoyed most of it, I worked hard for the pleasures.  Having relied on the mountain bike for my fitness and training since arriving down here, I saw the holes in my game when I got back on the road.  Knowing it will make me much stronger in those long races this year, I'll plan on adding 1 or 2 road sessions a week from here on out for sure.  It's the brick and mortar of what will hopefully build a strong house when the next 100 mile race comes up at the end of this month.

That's about it for now.  Both the Pikes are looking for an early night to rest these tired bodies.  Time to make it happen!