November 4th (Morning)

I need warmer gloves!!! Ok, enough is enough. This weekend I WILL find and buy some winter gloves. It can only get colder from here, and when my hands are starting to freeze before I even leave Juniper (like this morning), then I need a better setup! I will most likely get the Costco gloves, as they are the best quality, warmth and the most comfortable for only $20! We’ll have to look around a bit this weekend, but I think next week I will be trying out a better setup for sure.

Today’s ride was pretty good. A good time (about my average), so nothing record breaking but still pretty fun. It was a cooler 2°, meaning that I was slower again through Juniper not wanting to go too fast when I was still pretty cold and hadn’t warmed up yet.

Actually, right near the beginning of Juniper I noticed a coyote cross the trail about 30-40 feet up ahead of me. Then, as I started down the first downhill there were two sets of eyes peering back at me about 100 feet ahead! Kind of creepy really… As I got closer, they would disappear, then reappear in the bushes a ways, then disappear again… I was pretty sure they were coyotes as well, but the thought is always going through my mind that what if they’re not… ?!?! Anyways, as I passed them I looked over into the bushes and saw the bodies behind the eyes and they were indeed coyotes! Quietly disappearing into the darkness… These are the first eyes I’ve seen with my light, so I’m glad that it is bright enough to see them from so far away.

Nothing else to really report about this morning’s ride really. The section through the Rose Hill pipeline stretch was about the same. The first downhill (where I’m down to about 42km/h now instead of 50km/h in the daylight) is very bumpy, and mixed in with the cold air causing my eyes to water a bit, it’s getting tough to see where I’m going! Yet, I’m too lazy to want to have to actually pedal and work to get up the next hill, so I let the bike go as fast as I dare so I can coast up and over the next hill… All week I’ve gone over the “cliff” at the end as well (just before Frolek’s gate). With the helmet mounted light, it’s much better. I’ve also noticed that I’m getting much more comfortable with getting further back off the saddle than I’ve typically done, so that’s good!

I did a few extra standing/sprinting efforts on Summit drive. Not necessarily because I wanted to increase my speed and shorten my overall time, but because my legs just needed a change in position and muscles used! It is nice to give the usual sit-and-climb muscles a bit of a break after 20 minutes of straight climbing… The toe warmers did great, as my toes were just chilly, but compared to being frozen I’ll take that any day! Other than my hands, I’m pretty much set probably for at least another 5° drop or so… Then either I get some bus passes or find some warmer clothes yet again!