Okay, I’m a total slacker.  I’m starting to get complaints from friends and family who keep up with me through the blog, so I guess it’s time to come back to real life.  We got back yesterday (Thursday) afternoon from a week in Miami, during which I didn’t even look at my email.  Mr. Helpful very helpfully reported to me that my loyal readers are starting to grumble, so here’s my apology for my two week hiatus–sorry about that.  I was . . . busy.  Then distinctly not-busy.

I did the Sauratown 200k on 3/24 (that’s two weeks ago tomorrow; today is Good Friday), and had a GREAT day.  The weather was spectacular, even slightly warm in the afternoon; the scenery was beautiful, the roads were quiet, the dogs were mostly sleeping . . .  it was just a really, really fabulous ride.  I drove up by myself on Friday evening and spent the night in a hotel, and by the time my alarm went off at 5:30, I had worked myself into quite a state of anxiety.  I had to keep reminding myself to stay in the present and not worry about longer rides further from home.  (You’d think I don’t like to travel; I do–I just like having my people with me!).

I didn’t have any plans to ride with anyone in particular,so I was nervous about how much of the day I’d spend by myself having been passed by every other rider out there.  It wound up not being a problem.  I was by myself for about 25 miles, but that’s it (and those 25 miles were really, really pretty climbing and descending at the edge of the mountains).  Most of the day I rode with a guy from Charlotte, Paul Smith, who is a pretty hard-core randonneur, but whom I’d never met before.  Turns out he knows all about lots of really interesting things, like bald eagles and GPS systems and BMB–thanks, Paul–you really made the miles fly by!

We finished up at 4:15, and after some lounging and chatting and eating, I headed home, euphoric after such a good day.  It was a welcome confidence boost.  After I got home, I calculated that I rode 378 miles for the week.  Still not in the ballpark of brevet week, which looms ominously, but definitely getting better . . .

Mr. Helpful and the older child were in Washington for a class trip that next week, and after a quick turn-around when they got home, we all flew down Friday evening to spend spring break in Miami with Grandma.  I only had one chance to ride (unless you count the hour on the 4-person limo bike) while we were there–I rented a bike at Shark Valley, in the Everglades, and spent a couple of hours roaming around on the tram trail.  It was flat as a pancake, and hot, and just went around in a circle, but I must say–the wildlife was unbelievable.  Alligators EVERYWHERE.  I suppose the cyclists down there (and I saw a LOT on this little road) are used to them, but I tell you what.  When I’m pedaling along the side of a canal, and I come up on a 6 or 8 foot gator lying on the bank just right there, next to my right ankle–it keeps me moving.  They don’t seem to bark and chase like dogs (!!), but still . . .

Anyway, we’re home now, and it’s COLD!  I’m so done with cold.  I feel like once I’ve ridden in 80-some degrees and had to stop and buy ice for my bottles and gotten sunburned enough for my arms to peel, I don’t think I can go back to tights and booties and base layers.

So I guess I’ll do some Spinervals, and hope it warms up soon . . .