Same mileage, just normal. After weeks, months of shorter rides than normal, fewer trips over the hill than normal, this past week was finally looking a bit like… normal. Just slower than normal.

A weeks ago, Thursday, Kevin and I rode the regular Tuesday/Thursday morning route, nothing cut off due to either weather or running out of time because I’m making it up Kings in 37 minutes instead of 30. We get back to the start of the ride, Olive Hill & Canada, at 9:32 instead of 9:18-9:22. This is apparently what being 68 looks like. And have to admit, getting up the hill, it doesn’t feel great. As the miles go by, it does get better; over 50 or so and Kevin starts to tire but I’m still going. Not fast, but going.

Tuesday (a couple days ago), again, the full ride. Again, pretty slow up Kings, but OK past that. It’s getting a little bit warmer; I can get by with a light baselayer, just two layers, not three. No more temps in the 30s, no more concern about ice on the roads, but still the possibility of rain for the next two months. As if that’s something to complain about; how quickly we forget (if we ever knew) that it’s normal, in most of the world, to have quite a bit of rain in the summer. Here, it might rain between November and mid-May, and that’s it. Not even sure why I’m bringing up rain in the first place as I think I’ve only had one real rain ride this season, using an indoor trainer instead. First year I’ve ever done that and pretty sure it’s tied into the issues with my wife’s health, creating a stronger-than-usual rationalization for caution.

But I’m hoping to at least keep the miles back up where they should be, and absolutely positively need to do at least one 100+ miler this year, something that didn’t happen last year.