I took an unplanned day off today, and the car went in the shop for a recall, oil change, and something-unexpected to the tune of $500+. My only consolation was this ride (see the linked route), of which I am unreasonably proud. First of all, it's a modification of a route Dave H told me about... and I did the modification myself (which, as navigationally-challenged as I am, is a milestone for me [MILESTONE! HAH! I crack myself up sometimes]), and second, I did it at an average of 17.4 for the whole ride. I was at 18.1 when I stopped at the crossing at Blackwells Mills, and decided to cruise the rest of the way. I hadn't had breakfast, and got the Pretzels of Doom at the Philly Pretzel Factory in Hopewell (3 for $3; ate one in Hopewell, one at Blackwells Mills, and the last at Colonial Park; Little Joe, if you're reading this, you're right: I find I can go better longer if I eat something).
For you folks who lead all the time, feel free to sneer at my navigation efforts; I liken it to dyslexia, in that the information is there but the synapses just don't close right - and I have every respect for folks like Laura OLPH and Peter F, who learned their navigation by going on rides and studying maps. I just don't think I'm able to do that. As for the speed, I ride fastest when I ride alone; it's both a promise I made to The Excellent Wife (TEW) and an effort to starve that competitive urge.
Later, I did an additional five miles on the bike to go pick up the car. The dealership is about two miles away driving, but I didn't want to ride on Route 1, so I did a five-mile roundabout (and I still had to ride on an on-ramp-and-off-ramp on Route 1 for a short distance). The bike clothes are just coming out of the wash now. Maybe I'll do Dennis W's Old Guys ride tomorrow if the weather holds.
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