first post of the year

 

First post of the year.

Three weeks ago, I did a ride I didn't post about, because later that day, I was in a collision in the car. Nobody hurt, and the car is to be repaired... but aspects of the collision were such that I was shaken about it at the time, and I've had post-traumatic stress from time to time since.*

*Not PTSD; I would not demean the people who genuinely suffer from this by equating my situation with theirs. But my experience does share some of those features, in type, if not in duration or intensity.

I was anxious about going out on the ride that Tom H emailed about last week (it was last week, even if it was only yesterday, right? Like, today's Sunday, and that's the start of the week). In addition to the twitchiness about the recent collision, there's the fact that I haven't always been able to keep up with this group. But the ride was to be only 35-ish miles, and flat, and I wasn't too disabled after a too-good meal and a demanding theatrical experience yesterday*, so I agreed to go.

*Anna Christie at St Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO. It was worth the trip.

Tom assembled his insane bike posse. 

 

Before we departed, Tom told me that if I'd continued to avoid his rides, he was about to come by the house and get me. The gesture of friendship was warm and reassuring.

You can see the ride page here. The weather (in the low 40's) wasn't as cold as other days we'd been out, and we started with a tailwind. It was pleasant riding with these people, with whom I have decades of riding experiences. 

Conversations started and flagged as we proceeded. Sometimes, talk is replaced simply with presence.

After a few miles, I found that I did better keeping my chain on the small ring and keeping my cadence high; I was better able to manage hills (the little we had), and the headwind when we experienced that. I'm also able to ride comfortably in the drops on both my bikes, and I found that I could go almost a mile-per-hour faster in the drops than on the tops or ramps, making no other changes and with no more noticeable effort. At my age especially, it's good to be flexible.

I was NOT sorry, though, when we passed Etra Park and I figured we were about six miles from the end. This is about the longest distance I want to do when I'm in this condition.

I expect it will be longer in the spring, when the weather is more congenial, and I have (I hope) a bit more fitness.