My almost no ride birthday ride

[Crankin]

OK, I cleared my calendar, worked like crazy to finish some big papers, so I could go on a group ride today, my birthday. It started at a college about an hour and five minutes south of here; I particularly wanted to go, since I had not done any riding in this part of MA.
DH made me a nice breakfast and I sort of was complaining that maybe I didn't want to drive all that way, just to ride. But, I got dressed and gathered my stuff, leaving my house at about 8:30 to get there for a ten o'clock start. Well, I hadn't gone more than 2 miles when the traffic back up began. I always forget about this; I never drive this way in the morning. And I'm not even out of Concord center. And I had to get gas. Did that and the traffic eased up. Got on the first highway, which was OK. Then, I got on the ramp for 95 and the traffic was stopped! It started moving, but by this time it was 9:10. I maybe could have made it, but there were a couple of other notorious places where it might have been bad.So, I made up my mind to get off the highway then. Too bad I got off on an exit where there was a lot of construction and I could only go the opposite way I needed to go. I saw a turn around, some nice lady let me through and I headed west. I wasn't quite sure where I was, but soon realized I was on a road that is part of the one and only charity ride I do. It quickly becomes rural and it was very strange to be on this road in a car. The road is so narrow there are even speed bumps so you have to slow down.
Got home, took my bike out of the car and headed out. I knew I had to go in a different direction than usual, since that would end up being one of my 15- 20 mile loops. So, I decided since it was a weekday, I would try out the Minuteman Bike Trail. It's about 8 miles to the trail from my house; I was dressed fairly warmly, since it was 45 out. I felt a little sluggish, but good. It's a gorgeous fall day, with bright sun and a little wind. I thought I might ride to Lexinton, but ended up going the whole way, to Arlington center, where I shed my head cover and unzipped as much as I could. I guess I should have skipped the Ibex tights because I felt pretty warm. After having a snack, I turned back, but for some reason, the 2% grade felt like a huge hill. Then I remembered the 50 Hindu squats I did yesterday. Oh yea, my quads were burning. I had to slow down a lot. Some guy even dropped me on a rail trail . When I got back to Concord, I realized I was bonking a little. Why I don't know, so I ate the rest of my bar; the last 5 miles were slow, but I made it. And the best thing of all was that when I got to my front door, the red Gore jacket that I bought from Bluetree had arrived! I ended up riding 35 miles, almost as long as the group ride would have been.

[tulip]

Happy Birthday! What an adventure. You need some cake.

[OakLeaf]

Happy birthday C.! Hope the rest of it goes a little more to plan.

[katluvr]

Happy Birthday.
Sadly some birthdays don't turn out as planned, but sounded like once you were on the bike--it was a good day.

I agree w/ Tulip--you need some CAKE!

K

[indigoiis]

Happy Birthday! Sounds like a typical day with 95!
What were you thinking???

[Crankin]

Well, there have been so many times I have left way too early for one of these rides, when I have to go south and there has never been a problem. But, now I see that the mistake was that those rides were in the summer, when there is less traffic in general. The worst traffic, though, was the 2 mile back up on Lowell Rd. going into Concord center. I always think, "Why are these people going to work so late?" Since I always have had to be at work no later than 7:30, I've never had to deal with this stuff. And my last job was all local driving, mostly country back roads. Right now, I have to be at my internship at 8 AM, but it's all back roads until I get within a mile of my office; then it takes me like 10 minutes to go the last mile. I don't know how people do this.
We are going out tonight, so I will have my cake (or something like cake) then.

[shootingstar]

Hope you had b-cake.... before or after ride? Happy birthday, Crankin.

[staceysue]

Happy birthday! Sorry it started out so bad. Traffic - grrrrrrr.

[Crankin]

I did have the cake. We went out to a nice Italian place, where we usually eat at the bar. But, ever since I read that the bar has "become a hang out for the empty nester set," we haven't been going there as often! So, we actually got a table last night. Anyway, we shared a piece of triple layer chocolate cake. Not too sweet, but delicious.
Oh, and for you literary/history types, Doris Kearns Goodwin and her husband eat at the bar almost every night. Once, we made the mistake of sitting down in their regular place and we got yelled at.
She's an alcoholic and her husband appears to be really out of it. Something is wrong, not sure what.

[arielmoon]

Happy birthday Crankin!

[channlluv]

Way to make the best of the day indeed! Happy birthday, and great timing on the arrival of your new jacket, too!

::Go, Crankin', go, Crankin', it's yer birthday, it's yer birthday::

Roxy

[owlice]

I'm late with the birthday wishes (happy birthday!), but I'm carrying a chocolate cake with mocha icing, and it says Happy birthday, Crankin! on the top.