In the saddle... on the road... again....

After what seemed like many long weeks, I was able to climb back in the saddle and get back on the road. A pretty nice little ride has been sitting here waiting for me to take advantage of it and, unfortunately, I've been unable to climb on and really test it out. Today that all changed as I went out for a 13.5 mile ride down a very familiar road.

My new road bike. Yeah, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a bike that would make my ride so much easier. Although, I still have doubts about how easy one can make a 545 mile ride. It weighs 18 or 19 lbs - half that of the mountain bike. Has super skinny tires (less resistance when riding), good gearing differentials (much better than my 1998 model), and brakes that almost make you feel comfortable hitting them while on a downhill at 35 mph.

Today's ride wasn't about strength, endurance, distance or pace. It was about getting back on a bike after having a biopsy done on some skin issues. Biopsy came back negative. Ride came back positive. Definitely not the fastest, furthest, strongest I've ridden so far but the important thing is that I did ride.

The new bike... wow! Hills faded away like they were nothing more than speed bumps. Pace wasn't an issue at all on flats. Wind.... well, wind continued to be my nemesis. I've realized it doesn't matter if you're on a 40 lb. mountain bike or a 19 lb. road bike - headwinds can be brutal. As low as I crouch, as hard as I pedal, a headwind can slow me down to a crawl.

But, overall, it felt AMAZING to be back on the road! Thirteen miles was good. Soon I'll be back to doing great.