Smooth

 After getting home from the Snake Creek Gap TT, I was totally burned out on riding in the cold.  I can force myself to do something only for so long, and then something has to give.  I gave.  I maintained some fitness and rode the rollers a couple of times, but basically did nothing on the bike, or even remotely related to a workout for the rest of the week.  Rest is good, for the body and mind.  Considering I had just worked through my first 3 month training cycle, I'm ok with it.

Saturday,  after the kid's soccer game though, I saddled up the race bike a took to the woods.  The temps were nearing 60 and I wore knee warmers with arm warmers.  The arm warmers only lasted til I got warmed up.  I ripped around Bent Creek not worrying so much about heart rate, but more focused on fun rate.  I'm sure I went into fun rate zone 5b several times!

 Then Sunday rolled around and I had a little over an hour to ride.  I couldn't figure out which steed to take out, and then it dawned on me that it was time to take the new Siren : John Henry out.  I got this bike several weeks ago and didn't ride it, due to the fact that I was focusing on my time at Snake Creek.  I drove to the trailhead and pedaled, made a few adjustments and spun up the first climb into some single track.  Love at first drop.   This bike is smooth and stable.  Steel framed and perfect for what I bought it for: bikepacking.   I have most of the bags on the bike and it wasn't totally loaded down, so I bombed the downhills faster than I normally would with a full load.  Smooth, stable and smile inducing. 

It was one of those days that when the ride ended, I was craving more.  I'll get more, I'll just have to wait for it!