catch up time

I feel the need to play catch up.
I've been writing about this and that and signs and rain, and not about some of the cycling experiences I've had, so here's an update for the past 4 rides:

saturday after waiting to ride:
the skies eventually cleared, and bill and I set out at noon for "at least a ride up emigration." well, the sun started pouring itself over every available surface and the pavement dried to dust and the temperature kept rising . . . at the top of big mountain, bill said, I'd like to at least ride down to the east canyon store . . . and thus we had a great 50-miler under beautiful, dry skies. at the top of big mountain we looked south and saw fresh snow on the mountain peaks: yes, on august 15th. wow.
it wan't quite the original plan, but this is what I learned about myself: the yes-no-rainy morning delay wreaks havoc with my desire to ride long and hard. I think it has to do with the fact that if I get up and go early enough, my brain doesn't have time enough to kick in with rationality that says "are you nuts?? who in their right mind would ever ride a bike that far?"

sunday, waiting until it warmed before I rode:
this ride was perfect. absolutely perfect. sunshine, warm and glorious, yet the air was cool and hinting of the coming season.
it was even perfect when I reached the top of the hill on wasatch just past the mouth of big cottonwood, and noticed my front tire was down to its last little gasps of air. ( ooh, I neglected to mention the flat tire the day before at the top of little mountain. that would be where I used my spare tube, and put the old, punctured tube in my pack. with the empty cylinder. guess where this story goes next.)
yep, no spare tube, and just a single cylinder of air. it hadn't been a blow-out, so I opted for pumping up. I'd ridden 10 miles: perhaps I could get another 10 miles out of it . . .
well, I got about 10, then filled up again. then rode to my friend's house.
he didn't have a spare tube, but ~ gracious guy he is ~ he lent me his wheel. ha!
didn't I say it was a perfect ride?

monday, recovery ride:
this is the lesson I learned: it's challenging to do a recovery ride in the dark. makes it really hard to read your heart rate monitor. perhaps for the rest of the season I should sleep in on recovery day (adding rest to that recovery process) and ride in the daylight.
ride in the daylight: what a concept.

tuesday, up emigration again:
cold, dark-ish, windy . . . and yes, it feels like home.

now you're updated, and I bid you adieu, or more hopefully, au revoir.