Wow, rode my usual 37 mile route today. First real extended ride of the season. After 3 months of riding in my basement on a trainer or on a stationary bike at the rec center I had almost forgotten what the different actual biking on the road entails. First, I again had to contend with a 15 mph headwind which is becoming commonplace, but as usual the road took its toll. The ride started out quite normally but after two miles I got my first puncture of the season. That's flat tire for all you non-English Cretans. I think that it is an involuntary response when the sound of a slow hissss followed by a loud pop results in an outburst of profanity. What the _____ fill in the blank and you get the idea. The good news is that I still retain some ability to fix a flat in a relatively short period of time. So, after the repair I was off. It is now becoming routine that dogs will attack virtually every time I'm on the road and not always from the same location. fortunately, even at my advanced age, I was able to outrun those critters and not have to blast them with water from my bottle. But, as usual, and I'm reminded every time I ride, motorists forget to look for bicycles on the road. Two very close calls without oncoming vehicles. I suggest the motorists were not paying attention because the only other alternative would be they were trying to barely miss me. Anyway, it appears I have only lost one-half mile per hour during the winter layoff. Enough for now, the ride actually tired me out.

Ok followers, its about time I made an addition to this blog. The weather today was in the 60's. It was cloudy with a chance of meatballs but a great day for riding outside. Unfortunately, the wind was from the SSW at 20-25 mph. Can you say Delhart Texas!! It wasn't an indicator of what I lost this winter so I will reserve judgment until I can ride where the wind is not a factor during the ride. I am hopeful that with biking on a trainer in my basement, mixed with an hour and a half on a stationary bike at the local rec center, the endurance I had before winter will not have totally diminished. Time will tell.
I am now considering my next distance ride. I, along with a friend, have been looking into riding the ALCON highway. My preference is to do it with wives providing support in RV's. My wife isn't quite supportive of this. She prefers motel rooms when on vacation. My other option is to do a group ride like my cross country trek. The advantage of going with the RV is we can establish our own daily mileage and do as much or as little as we deem appropriate. However, it is still in the planning stage. I need to do more research and planning before it is a go but at least it is a possibility. Looking forward to better weather for outside riding. I'm getting a little "cabin fever".