I'm too lazy to transform my bike back into a road machine, but I'm not too lazy to finally start riding back to work. I hit the roads (and trails) today at O dark thirty (6:30a). With the summer coming to a close, it's still dark at that hour and the temperature is just right. I thought it was going to be chilly at first, so I wore a long sleeve shirt. But before I had gona a mile, I took it off.

Riding with cyclocross tires and without aero bars makes things slower, but not all that much less enjoyable. Clipless pedals are great. There are a surprising number of sections alongside the W&OD where you can ride off the path. It's really quite fun. I can ride my normal 38K route to work and get cyclocross practice whenever I choose. I think it'd be great training to do fartleks on the off road portions. I have no idea how fast I'm riding now because I took off my bike computer and don't have any extra zip ties yet to reattach it. But it's probably best that I don't know for now.

Coming home was more of the same and the weather was wonderful. Fall is definitely on it's way. Pat was leaving at the same time I was, but he said he needed to take it easy and let me go on my way. I kept a strong pace the whole time, but never had anyone to deal with. I caught Jess riding to her piano lesson in the opposite direction just as I was coming through Arlington. We don't need no stinkin' gas. What we do need is pitching!

I need to update a lot, and I've got lots of pictures . . . For now I'm trying not to get any further behind.

38km X 2