OK - So my first official training ride.  I took Canada road from Edgewood to Woodside and then back to 92 and back to Edgewood.  Not a bad ride.  A lot of slow gentle hills.  A lot of wind though.

I was riding between Edgewood and 92 when I spot a big guy on a bike slowly making his way up the hill in front of me.  I stay calm (I love a challenge)  As I ride up the hill I notice he's getting closer.  He gets off his bike at the top and pretends he's fixing his bike.  All sorts of judgemental thoughts fly through my  mind as I pass him.  I am the man on hills!

I'm cooking along a few minutes later when he flies right past me.  He's quickly puts about a few lengths of embarrassment between us as I turn to make the leg back to Edgewood Road then home.  

A little way down the road I hit a downhill and keep thinking the wind is holding me back...a lot.  I keep wondering why I have to mash down hills to get any speed.  My front tire is making sounds.  It's either going flat or it's sighing from the excess weight I've put on lately.  That tire is a dick!  Anyway, the big guy goes zipping past me on the downhill, I push but can't catch him as his knees flare out to the side every time he pedals.  Then I notice my brakes are rubbing. 

My front brake had been cautiously on the entire ride as if it wanted to make sure I wasn't going too fast.  No wonder I felt so tired.  I centered the pads again, spun the tire and set my target on Mister Big Guy who is now a good ways away.

Birds sing, angels cried, rainbows descend from the sky!  What a difference.  That's why I ride!  I was remembering that feeling you get when your bike responds as if the brakes aren't on.  I stood up on the pedals and bonking be damned I was going to catch that guy before Edgewood Road.

A few slugs of the water bottle, a couple hundred gasps for air and a death defying mash up a hill in the big gears and Mister Big Guy had no idea what hit him when I zoomed past at the last possible second before Edgeware road.  Well, it probably looked more like a six year old walking quickly past a two year old, but who's keeping score...other than me.  And Mister Big Guy goes home knowing he's been vanquished by me.  I'm sure he's telling a story about some slow guy who was sucking for air at a stop sign at Edgewood Road and how he schooled him on Canada Road.  Ah, perspective!