A Peloton of one: Training Day 3/4/12 Did I say fifty?

8:30, headed out with the LaGrange club, of which I am now an official dues paying member of, to do the Nichols Canyon ride. Small turnout for such a stellar morning, and the pace up Santa Monica Boulevard was uncharacteristically civil. I did the climb with my customary huffing and puffing, albeit in better time than usual for me. Ditto for the Mullholland section. As I pulled into Skerball, where the quicks wait for the stragglers, I asked my friend and biking mentor Chris London how far back of the pack I was, he told me, "Two maybe three minutes." Pretty sure he was being kind. Yep so it's all downhill from here! Sepulveda at 9:30 or so on a sunday morning is basically empty, so we take an entire lane, on a good day I'll hit 40MPH, and I'm one of the slower riders. Pretty fucking exhilarating.

Ahh Petes. It's the end of the ride and were the peloton realxes, pees, drinks coffee and discusses who fell, who got a flat, who broke away when. All things I'd like to avoid, or will just never accomplish. It's also where I look for a rider or two who is going on somewhere else to extend my ride. Alas, no takers today, so I set off on my own. Ballona creek bridge and back should be an even fifty..... Fifty is what I committed to yesterday, so fifty is what I'm gonna do. Except that I was so enthralled with the sunshine and warmth of the day, that I just kept going. "Just a little bit further." Was the mantra of the moment. I came to my senses about five miles past the bridge, which made my fifty into a sixty. Did I say fifty? obviously I intended to say sixty. Here are a few snaps from the day.

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