Yesterday, Sunday, was a beautiful spring day. I got a good early start, riding alone from Brueggers at 7:30AM. I felt sort of bad not notifying any of my normal riding buddies, but I did not want to commit to a starting time. Sorry.
The day started off chilly but clear and sunny. I headed out Carlisle Road, then back on Monument Street, through Concord Center, then out towards Bolton.
On the way, I did an out-and-back on Water Row. Not sure what town that is in, maybe Wayland. It is one of the most beautiful riding roads around, going through a huge marsh on the Sudbury River. Here is a photo:
An interesting thing happened in Sudbury. The annual Sudbury Triathalon was going on as I passed through. I stopped to talk to one of the course workers, when this familiar looking guy in a Scott Brown for Senate tee shirt came up to me and fist-bumped hello. We didn’t talk, just nodded hello, and he ambled off. I am not real certain, but I think it was the senator himself.
The weather cooled, then later warmed back up. I took off my leg warmers in Concord, then the jacket sleeves on Water Row. Later I put an extra jersey back on, as well as a windbreaker. After lunch, I took that extra stuff back off. I am amazed at how other riders ride in such divergent temps without putting so much on and off. Guess I am just too sensitive.
As before two weeks ago, I picked up a sandwich in Bolton, then ate it at the top of the hill on the other side of town, heading towards Harvard. This is my new pattern. Normally, the Bolton route winds back towards Acton, but this time I rode on into Harvard, then down the beautiful Old Lyttleton Road (note the spelling), through Littleton, up to the top of Nagog Hill, then down through Acton and up Pope Road, tracing my routine ride backwards, getting my photos on Curve Street.
Here is one of my time-lapse photos, taken on Curve Street in Carlise:
At his point, I was heading for home when I realized I was probably going to be a bit short of 70 miles on the day, so I started tacking on all sorts of little extras. Still looking to be short, I diverted a bit in order to add some distance and at the same time ride past Kimball Farm on Rt. 225. So of course I stopped for ice cream, which I almost never do on these rides. (Often afterwards, but not while riding.)
I ordered a small in a cup. Who ever says size doesn’t matter has clearly never eaten an ice cream at Kimball Farm. While delicious, it was the biggest small I have ever seen. It must have been a quart and a half. So all the caloric benefit of the ride disappeared. But it was delicious.
And the payoff was I finished over 70 miles, at 70.89, so it was worth while.
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