Not Mansfield Not Metric

20 June 2015

I took the week off from exercising.  I needed to.  Just as the dizziness was waning, I came down with a cold on Wednesday.  Fortunately, the misearble part of that is gone. Now I have a head full of snot, but my legs are rested.

What a difference that rest made.  I can't recommend enough givng one's body a break a few times each year. This was my first since November, and I needed it.  I had no idea how run-down I'd been until I got on my bike today.

Tom's plan was for us to do an easy, flat metric as our last training ride before Bike Virginia.  We'd start from the little township park in Mansfield, the one with the entrance so well hidden that I have to look for it on a map every time.

Cheryl is back in town for the summer.  I offered that she follow me to the park.  She asked me to make her a PB&J sandwich, which is a good idea for a metric.  Wawa muffins can only get a body so far.

Late last night, Tom emailed us all to say that the forecast might make him cancel the ride.  Early this morning, he decided instead to shorten it and start farther north, away from the advancing front.

There were eight of us at the elementary school in Bordentown.  Chris chided me for not riding from home. Marc did leave from home, looking every part the randonneur with a bright orange vest, waterproof booties, lights, and a rack holding rain gear and covered with bright yellow waterproof fabric.  He was disappointed that Tom had shortened the ride; he'd counted on the metric to get him over 100 miles.

It was good to see Little Joe again too.  Jim got his speed on, up front with Chris and Mark through Fort Dix. I'm pretty sure that Barry didn't say a word while we were riding, but that's Barry.

Two things have to happen if Tom is leading a ride through the Pinelands, and if I'm on the ride. First, we have to get rained on, even if it's just a little.  Second, we have to find ourselves on an unaticipated dirt road. Both criteria were met today.

Because of the forecast rain, none of us brought our cameras. That's why I have no pictures for today's post.

Now I'm down in DC.  It's pouring rain for the second time since my train got here three hours ago. I see that the weather back home is just as bad, and worse tomorrow there than it will be here.  I guess we'll all be sleeping in.