Lately on my work-at-home fridays I’ve been getting about an hour of fast easy XC and then ending at the RMR pool for some laps. since i’m easily distracted, and think it will end on a cool note and hardly be hot on fast XC (true, in a wind-chill at 110 still makes it about 98 sort of way), this ride had been occurring way later than is sane for summer in Phx. and i gotta deal with sunscreen, and getting baked at the pool, and signing in with the guy who works at the gate.

I had plans, big plans for getting to bed and getting out early. I even got my yoga class in on Thursday so’s i wouldn’t flake on the ride to goto the Friday class. This actually turned out to be a big mistake, the class stunk, and being up late made me and G both sleep in. So, when it still looked pretty damn dark out at 7:30 in the morning, i felt infused with fresh motivation!!!

she ate, i packed, we hustled out the door. i detected a faint trace of confusion in the baby compared to our normally leisure mornings, and vowed to make it up to her that afternoon as i flung her in the Ones room. which I did.

riding by 9, and it was still grey and lovely. lovely enough to climb, so i shot up Mudflaps and was coming down Saddleback when i saw nothing become a giant huge something out of the corner of my eye. On the edge of the trail a big raptor was sitting — might have been an eagle but I think it was more likely a hawk — whatever it was, as soon as i rounded the corner it scared into flight. The trail was going downhill along a little run-off, so I got a great view of the bird extending its wings and floating away and down from me. Yeaaaa!!! That made the ride.

Hammered hammered out of the system, down TRW, my Kenda Kinetics was slow as molasses and it better be making me stronger (as per my pre-Heckler strength building plan) cause it sure as hell is making my rides suck — never even broke 20 on TRW. Up to the pool, a good half mile, home in time to start my workday as per usual at about 10:30.