Last night was my first outdoor ride of the season. ML and I rode with the Cyclelogic group… it felt great to be outside, on my newly tuned bike. A slightly different fit, and different weight distribution with the aero bars on it now. I was a bit wobbly. I guess I might have been wobbly for a first ride out even without the aero bars on, but I’ll blame it on a technical adaptation and save my ego ;)

It felt like summer last night – there was hardly any wind and it was bright and sunny. We rode out to near Beaumont (I think – it’s easy to pay zero attention to where you are when you aren’t leading) and did a (sort of) catch-up drill with some smaller echelon groups. We came back into the city on the sherwood park freeway/82 Avenue (so the ride was a big square). Total distance was just shy of 50 km, and for a first ride the pace was okay. I felt my winter spinning paying off.

Riding with a group that size was a bit of measured chaos, but very exciting. I had a Type A attack only twice right towards the end of the ride (I might have been hungry by then) – we were coming back into town and there were zero lines being kept, and we dropped a few riders several times. On those two occasions, I did feel like bossing everyone around (this would have been an fruitless exercise :p). An exercise in surrender… good practice for life. An accidental critical mass event took place as ~30 or so riders took an entire lane down Calgary Trail  on the way out – which more than made up for any minor frustration.

I’m trying out a loaner saddle – last night was the first ride on it. It was not awesome.  My body is not 100% happy about it. (And so…) The hunt for a perfect fit continues…. (Anyone with an opinion on ladies saddles: join the conversation?)

I was feeling a bit sad this morning. I’m really not sure why. A case of the Wednesday blues, perhaps? Things were very busy at work the last two weeks, and now they are slightly less busy – I’m playing catch-up on some mostly administrative things. This is slightly less exciting and probably the source of my blues. I’m also tired: I think these next few weeks are going to be hard for me as I adjust to a new training schedule that includes early mornings.

Today was a run day. I did a quick run from home to the Kindsmen for physio – I had plans to run home again but was emphatically encouraged to walk instead. For once I took the advice. Good news re: the ankle. It’s improved somewhat from last week, and I think I’m on the same page as physio about a strategy moving forward. Also, it looks like I don’t have a stress fracture – an even better place to be.

Tonight is for muffin making – 3 varieties, in preparation for Saturday’s 3rd annual PFP. ….I don’t actually believe how quickly porridge snuck up on me: How is it already May?