OK, I know you all know this from experience, but this is my first experience like this.

Well, you all know this year has been all about long, slow, steady, climbing training for me. And I skipped doing a certain short, flat route I did a lot a couple years ago.

But, a couple times now in the past 2 weeks I have done this ride...almost all flat with just one very short steep hill. It has some high-pedestrian path links, and a couple traffic lights, as well as one slow bumpy section through a paper mill to get out to the spit.

Two years ago I used to average maybe 12 to 13 mph for this little 12-14 mile flat ride. I'm a slowpoke.

In the last two weeks, I averaged 14 mph once and 15 mph once, just relaxed and for fun. Also, the spit is always windy. I noticed riding into the headwind there last year I typically went about 9 mph. This year, same headwind, I was going about 12.

Guess climbing works!

I'm pretty excited to lose some weight and workout for speed and strength this winter and see where I am next year.