Bit of a headwind home, supposedly, but I didn't feel it.
Had the panniers on for the first time -- I discovered this morning
that she handles a bit differently -- the front wheel sounded and felt
*very* light, but I didn't lose traction anywhere.
So of course, I belt down my favourite hill on the commute, and turn
right at the bottom of the hill. I thought "better slow down for this
one, given I don't know her handling yet", then thought better of it
-- "Nah!". Went through the corner and found I was in the mood to use
my legs and just kept on going instead of slowing up the slight
incline towards my house. A taxi sat up behind me, let me through the
roundabout at high speed (good visibility), then kept on sitting
behind me. Of course, I don't know what speed I was doing, but I
guess he wasn't too impatient with my 35 or so in a 50 zone.
This road is a maze of twisty passages all alike -- a bit bendy, lots
of traffic calming, and roundabouts. He sits behind me in several
spots where I expected to overtake, but I was still doing that roughly
35, or maybe even 45.
By this stage, I have been hammering for a few minutes -- would love
to know my HR[1], but didn't put it on tonight -- thinking "I can't
see it in the dark" -- duh, you can still read the max when you get
home. Feeling great. Finally, he lets me through the last
roundabout, and the road kicks up some more, so he overtakes once I
slow. Didn't get to acknowledge him -- wasn't really able to speak,
and too dark to wave -- and don't really want to say "thanks mate",
because I usually say that to be sarcastic, and don't want to be
misinterpreted.
[1] GPL: Lastnight I got up to 189 hammering (by my standards) up a
hill -- punt road, IIRC. So my worry of not being able to get above
181 was not founded. Still, got a few more % to find somewhere. I
think I may be getting some (by my standards) fitness back.
--
TimC
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