Ritamarie, thank you! Much appreciated, and as you find new and more and better things, please please please keep me posted!!

~~~

Today's ride was very much like Friday's ride, except it was colder out: 43°F and cloudy today. I was definitely chillier today than I was on Friday; 6 degrees makes a difference! I wore biking tights and thin sweats, and a turtleneck with a regular t-shirt over it. I was kind of wishing for one more or one warmer layer on top, and I definitely have to get full-fingered gloves.

But to the ride.... again up to the Lincoln Memorial, down the Reflecting Pool, and then over to Hains Point. Rode around that twice plus some; I was coming up the west side when I saw what I thought was a Bald Eagle, so I cut back over to the east side -- yes! Definitely a Bald Eagle! -- and rode around the point again as a result. And then eventually back.

In addition to the Bald Eagle, I saw a red fox (oh, so so so pretty!). He crossed the road in front of me, picked up something at the street's edge, and then ran back to the broad flat grassy area that is in the center of the point. Watched me bike past, he did!

Very few people out. I think only one cyclist passed me (and he was all excited about the red fox, too). I did see a few more, but they weren't doing laps on the point today.

Slower than Friday; I wasn't feeling the love for most of the ride. 11.6 miles, average of 10.8 MPH.

Am still glad I rode, though.

arielmoon, I hear your cry about losing conditioning; I'm riding so much less now... and I can tell I'm not riding as strong as I was two months ago.