Night Ride.....kind sorta

well for the first time since friday, I manned up and decided to ride The Bitch Stomper on its true domain: The open road. Braving Temps hovering in the low 40's high 30's I walked out layered well on my upper half ( Wool beanie, those stretchy running gloves, base layer tank top, dri release t- shirt, Holy Cross track long sleeve, Louis Garneau long sleeve jersey ( reflective yellow)) but was wearing only bike shorts and two pairs of socks covering the lower half, the logic was the constant climbing of the hills in the burbs would warm my legs. I managed to eek in 12 miles before it got too dark for me to be seen by speeding rush hour traffic, yet surprisingly most motorists gave me room (You guys who gave me room rock!) I descended down Lyman road at the wuss-esque 24 miles per hour ( stupid potholes.) climbed into Waterbury and road past Montoe Park then on to North main, past the Russian Orthodox Church and began the big climb back into Wolcott, as I approached the top I ran my hand over my head and felt only the soft wool of the beanie....I had done the first and most dangerous six miles of my ride sans helmet, two thoughts ran through my head as I pedaled back home to grab my blue plastic second skull, the first : I was bad ass like those guys who did the tour in the 80's . Nothing like descending the Calibier with your mullet blowing wildly knowing one wrong move and it's be au revior, Bernard* ( shameless reference to the 5 time tour champ.) the second was the primal fear of if I got hit I would be an instant organ donor. (I told my parents if I ever crashed hard and they were picking up grey matter off the road, then you might as well give my organs away because I most likely won't recover from that.) Any way I made it home got the helmet and desecnded the other side of Lyman rd. to Route 69 for my second 6. As I crossed 69 during a luck lull in the traffic, I made my way toward Scovil's dam. The cross wind kicked up and unlike in other rides where I slowed my pace , I kicked it up a knotch, with a "bring it bitch" attitude. I got around the lake then started the big climbs up Boundline rd. ( those of you wondering why I was able to climb geer mountain with out dismounting this climb is why.) The hill starts gradual with one quick burner then a nice false flat and a major burner that curves to the top. Well I kicked it into "lance armstrong mode" spinning as much as the gears would allow to the top, occasionally getting out of the saddle to push. I rode past the cemetery , high school and library descending down route 322 past Pat's IGA. I climbed up Beach Rd. a long gradual climb past the nursing home and then took it through my "old hood" before riding home. 12 miles wasn't bad for about 45 minutes. my legs held up well but my feet were blocks of ice so a set of toe covers is a purchase coming in the near future. All in all it wa a good day of training i went to class but the run never matetrialized although my bio professor and I talked for about 50 min. on training, treatment for shin splints, and other running topics so I guess that counts right. Well back to Work,
The Tell-Tale Teller
R.D.