This morning’s ride: 1:03:11 Distance 15:03 Average: 86 RPM
It didn’t feel like I was riding at 15 mph this morning. Especially the parts where I was heading west on the canal path–once again into a head wind. Especially since one of the muscles in my leg–a muscle I didn’t even know I had–started barking at me halfway through the ride. For some reason, my gracilis muscle on my left leg aches after long rides. I looked up the function of this muscle. and discovered that it “Adducts thigh at the hip.” In other words, it’s used to draw my leg toward my body. I’m very aware of the positioning of mylegs as I ride. My knees point forward, right over the pedals when I ride. Am I pulling them too close as I ride? Why is it only the left side that hurts? I’ll have to pay more attention when I ride tomorrow. 
Seemed like a larger number of folks out this morning than usual. Maybe it was just because half the ride was done on the canal path, which lends itself to pedestrian, bike, and rollerblading traffic. Most of the people I passed (no one passed me! I try not to be competitive, but I still get a thrill out of that) were wearing earbuds or some sort of headset. I realized that I don’t, and that I don’t care that I don’t. When I started out riding, I had to have something in my ears to hold my attention. I don’t feel that way any more. I am finding, to my continuing amazement, that I enjoy riding. I enjoy the sounds around me (and when I’m riding in traffic, I need to hear the sounds around me). It’s almost meditative. Except, of course, when one of the city’s buses growls past me so close that I can hear the side view mirror as it narrowly misses my head.
I’m discovering that I kinda sorta like this. I’m surprised. I truly am.
