You can always rationalize that a good ride helps your focus, UK elephant! Balance, after all, healthy balance of activities...

I rode out the regular commute (which is reasonably nice between school sessoins!) and came back the longest route ever, and tho' the computer's busted most of the miles on the grid took fewer than four minutes, which I needed to do to get all 36 miles in and be back in time for the LEague of Illinois Bicyclists' conference call.

Still hoping I don't regret the decision to take Big Red on GITAP. (And, depending on whether disk brake parts come in and what my mechanic says, *maybe* I'll change my mind if he thinks I shouldn't do the big hills with the regular brakes. Any thoughts? The brakes *scream* at me, which is nice when I'm commuting but I'm not looking forward to downhills...) But I'll have all day and it's been lubricated and I can get into granny gear now! Reckon I'll need it to get a 45 pound bike up those Galena Hills...