Bicycling (Road) 1:24:45 [3] 23.1 mi (3:40 / mi) +423m 3:28 / mi
slept:8.0 weight:196lbs (injured)
Poolsville, MD. From Fischer Ave.just across the street from the elementary school, I took Fisher Ave., to Sugarland Rd., to Whites Ferry Rd., to White Ground Rd., to Clarksburg Rd., to Barnesville Rd., to Slidell Rd., to Comus Rd., to Peach Tree Rd., to Darnestown Rd., to Catail Rd., to Fischer Ave. With the remnant rains what they were in the aftermath of 5 inches the day before, I was wary of starting out. I saw a window of opportunity but still got a slowish start with eating lunch then realizing I forgot my gloves--I got more and some nice shorts from a nearby store. By the time I was starting out across the county's agricultural preserve, it was well after 3pm and raining moderately. My front derailleur cable was slipping so I rode the whole ride in the 53 ring. Radar showed that the rain would pass and it did after about 35 minutes. I still rode through occasional puddles and overflow from ditches and fields. I had to keep a good eye out for debris. Through all of that, I really enjoyed seeing this countryside again. I'd feared suburban growth would have taken over a lot of it but except for 2-3 places, much of it was intact. The high point and mental turnaround point was near Sugarloaf Mountain. Riding the Peach Tree Rd. ridgeline back, I got a few nice views of that mountain which I used to nickname Mt. Pipsqueak. The best view was across a large open grassy field with clouds rising off the top. At the end of the field was an iconic Victorian house with yellow, blue, and red floors and a nice porch with a metal roof. I didn't feel that fast finishing up on the downslopes toward Poolsville. There was a headwind that dried-off the roads where it was sunny. While I'm not running I hope to do more long rides. I just have to make a point of getting out earlier.
After the ride, I had to drive to Virginia to pickup Samantha, who'd slept the night at my mother's house. White's Ferry was my initial plan, but that was closed due to the high water on the river. I drove through Point of Rocks, recalling other bicycling I'd done decades back. It was a pretty drive, though a little busier than it used to be.