Well, Sarah, Amy and I had a lovely climb up Old Tunnel Rd, and then, due to my tired legs, and what felt like remarkably warm and humid weather, we just carried on a bit to watch the gasping faces of the folks coming up Pinehurst, then returned home for a total distance of 10 miles or so.

I love this ride in its entirety, but unfortunately there's no way to shorten it - once you're out there, turning back is steeper than continuing. So thanks SadieKate and Dachshund for not minding a shorter loop - we'll do it again sometime, when I'm not pretending it's a recovery ride!