We got out for a lovely ride on Saturday. It was 70F and sunny and the whole time, my DH and I kept saying 'isn't this just an amazing day?". It truly was spectacular! We have this route that we like that we call 'Rick's Ride' because my husband loved it so much the first time we did it about 4 years ago. It's about 65 miles total, but there are places to bail out all along the way to keep it shorter. We used to have to drive to the start of it, but now that we live in town, it's only a 5 mile ride to get to it. This year, as we get back into shape, we've been doing a little more of the ride each weekend. This weekend, we did just over 22 miles of it and it was the first time we got to the more interesting climbing sections. It was really lovely. Tons and tons of cyclists, runners and motorcyclists out enjoying the rare warm, dry, spring day.

The trip was only slightly marred by the scariest sound I've ever experienced. We were heading along a country road (very straight with excellent visibility) and I was following my H when I heard the sound of screeching tires and locked up breaks DIRECTLY behind me. In the split second it took for me to realize what I was hearing, I started pedaling like mad. I kept thinking, pedal faster but relax, pedal faster but relax...I was thinking that by doing so, I could lessen the blow. Luckily, the car managed to come to a stop without hitting me. It was some teenage girl who clearly misjudged how much time she had to pass us before the oncoming cars got there and had to change her mind at the last minute. Afterward, my husband hung back and read her the riot act. She'll likely be terrified of passing cyclists for the rest of her adult life!

No harm, no foul, but man...that would have been a lousy end to an otherwise perfect day. And it would be just my luck that I'd be injured (or worse) as a new season is starting (not unlike having been taken out by my dog at the start of last year's season!).