Welcome back, Emily. It is always good to hear about your adventures.
We did a 40 mile hilly ride, to Berlin, MA and back. All but the part in Berlin, where we stopped to eat was familiar, but the combination of roads was hilly right from the start. It was cloudy, a few spritzes of rain, but about 75. After lunch, we rode up a hill, by an orchard, that felt so rural, it was like i was in Vermont. Then, in about 2 miles, we were back on familiar roads, not far from the school I taught at. I really was feeling the pain from yesterday's ride, but, with the aid of Shot Blocks, I actually finished with a better average than I thought I would. I was suffering in parts, feeling great in others, and happy to get home. I rode a lot this week, in terms of mileage, so tomorrow, when the weather is iffy, I may actually take a rest day.