Got back into the road cycling today. Discovered that two weeks off of cycling leads to the following symptoms:

• Inability to fully engage leg muscles,
• Reduced pain tolerance,
• Lack of motivation,
• Fear of being blown off by cross-winds, and
• Reduced reaction timing leading to nearly hitting a pedestrian (although she was jay-walking on a blind corner on Gorge Rd, without looking for traffic, and then when she did see me she ran in front of me, stopped, and looked directly toward me like a stunned mullet)

Windy Point, Belair, Blackwood, Aberfoyle Park, Scott Creek, Stirling, Crafers, Old Freeway, Mt Osmond. One of the group members had a big crash downhill on a corner, doing about 60 km/h and hit a bump in the road, which sent him straight off of the corner. We got to the bottom of the downhill section and were wondering where he was, and eventually someone noticed the guy emerge from the bushes.

An achievement that isn’t highlighted by Strava because it’s not ‘popular’, is my first ever attempt at the Freeway side of Mt Osmond, and getting 3rd on the leaderboard out of 18:

Went for a quick road ride after work tonight, and took it easy as I have a big ride planned for the morning. By taking it easy, I got three PR’s because I had more energy further into the ride to perform better on segments where I’m typically tired. Either way, a PR is a PR!

I just cracked my PB time for riding down the Old Freeway – in the dark!  Average speed going downhill 50.2 km/h.  I would have come close to cracking my PB time on the way up too, if it wasn’t for stopping to talk to some random lonely guy that starting talking to me.  I was spot on one minute behind my PB going up, and I think I spoke to the guy for over a minute.  Although at the same time it did give me a good rest.  Will have to give it another crack soon.