Ennui, Adieu

Be gone, ennui! And just like that, two good rides in three days turned things around for El Dubstoevsky.

Sick of being sick, I said "fuck it" and saddled up on a gorgeous Thursday afternoon for a dash up past the Airport to Kettle Brook and on to Paxton and South Rd and a run back along the reservoir. Note that the climb up to the Worcester Airport from Mill St ranks as a Cat 4. It's newly paved, and awesome.

It doesn't look like much but this climb builds into a Cat 4
June 18, 2015

21 miles for the 39th ride of the year, 15.6 mph, not bad for a Shad kicking the grippe. I felt alive again, eager, hungry. I drank in the Kettle Brook visage as I raced past, thoughts straying to raptors, mileage, fresh pavement, the wonders of dinner.

Kettle Brook, June 18, 2015

Kettle Brook Reservoir (which one I'm not sure, there are several)

Then Saturday, today, June 20. Another beauty - low humidity, warm sun, 70+ degrees, no breeze. And a weekend! Nothing to do but quaff a rich 16 oz latte (made in-house at Chez Shad), eat some eggs and toast, perform some minor maintenance on the trusty Specialized Steed, done the Steal Your Face jersey, and set out.

A BIG day. I set my sights on the Mountain and powered north toward Princeton and toward the Mont Vontusett. Felt good for the first half of the ride but flagged some during the second half. Not quite back to Full Cry mode; the time off the bike and the illness over the last two weeks definitely impacted my stamina.

Not to mention the fact that today's ride, 47 miles including a Cat 4 climb to the summit of Mount Wachusett, was hard as hell anyway. Tired legs, sore forearms, sun-weary, and dirty, I embraced it all. 3500 feet of climbing.

Deer in the road, nearing the Wachusett upswing

I've said it before but it's worth repeating; the climbing required to reach the visitor center and the actual road up to the mountain summit is arguably harder than the summit climb itself. True, the mountain does offer a Cat 4 sequence but the relentless, and steep, roads leading to it provide their own considerable challenge. For me, it's old known territory; no surprises, just the steepness and the need for focus.

Looking toward Woo City from the summit

Overall, we're having an incredible summer weather-wise so far. Numerous sunny days, none of them overly humid, many in the 70s. Ideal, really. I just need to stay healthy and not over do it; I need to work toward the D2R2 at the end of August. That ride demands peak fitness.