my spotty performance, and a new rider among the usual suspects

 

This one was a little sus from the beginning.

I was convinced I was going to be rained out of a ride today, so I didn't even look to post something on the club calendar until Friday, two days before I was planning to lead the ride...

... and then we were having a new furnace put in that day, so I was all disorganized and out of sorts...

... and then I got an email from someone asking if I wanted to ride with him. I presumed he meant on my usual Sunday ride, so I checked the weather, saw it was going to be decent, and posted the ride listing, and emailed to tell him it was up, but no; he wanted to know if I wanted to do a charity ride with him. But I'd already made the posting, and felt I was committed. 

Also for today, there was a club ride to visit all the Seward Johnson sculptures that were in the area for a special show. My lateness to post was probably a factor, but many of my regular riders were going on that ride.

So I wound up with four of my Usual Suspects: Peter G, Jack H, Bob N, and Laura OLPH. As well, I got a new club member signing up, Xuan L, who was kind enough to put up with my undoubted mispronunciations of her name and associated cultural dullness.

We did one of my usual routes, down through Princeton, and up to Hopewell and back. Bob N rode in to the start, and we picked up Jack, Peter, and Laura along the way. (I think Xuan was a little suspicious when there were only half as many people at the start as were registered.)

Now, I've found over the past few months that my riding ability is spotty. Even with similar groups of riders, some days I'm pulling off the front, and other days I'm barely keeping up in the rear. Today was one of the latter. I've heard a number of hypotheses about the causes: sleep problems, eating junk, even using flat pedals instead of cleats (I was cleated today; that is surely not the problem). I don't know what it is, and I can't even always predict what kind of day it's going to be until I'm several miles into the ride.

But, with the exception of the new rider, they're all The Usual Suspects, and I can count on a certain amount of indulgence from them. I'm glad to have them to ride with.

We stopped at the Boro Bean.

From there, Laura, Peter, and Jack rolled off home; Bob, Xuan, and I proceeded along the route. A few miles later, Bob pulled off and went home, and I was left to chase Xuan (who had far more energy than I) and let her know about the upcoming turns until the end. Shortly before the last turn, I remarked that she probably had another forty miles in her legs. "Maybe twenty," was her reply. 

I barely had enough to get home. 

A windy day, and a hard one for me, but a good ride. I hope to see you on a day when I'm able to keep up.

Ride page.