Outside ? Outside !

On Sunday, after spinning for an hour to let the roads dry out, I strapped on the time trial helmet, switched out for the Zipp rear wheel, and hit the roads.

I don't know when I last rode outside. But yesterday I rode up to Durham and back and took an extra loop in Branford to get to 4 hours. My longest ride before Lake Placid was a 5 hour, 98 mile hill-stomping which also took me through Durham, but this was a not like that.

First, warm is relative, and while my hands, upper body and even my bare legs were warm, my feet were not. I also had a little error in judgment during a bathroom break, but let's not say too much and just leaf it at that...

I also was without my Cliff Blocks. Let me tell you, Power Gel is not a substitute for solid food. It just doesn't work as well.

Still, after a lot of spinning and not much riding, I was surprised how quickly 4 hours went by. Maybe it was the novelty or the fear of the cars, or maybe it was just the Snow Patrol, Coldplay and Evanescence....