I had the day off on Friday, which was forecast to be in the mid-70s, so I hit the bike trail for the first time this year. I actually had a chance to go for a bike ride in February -- there was a day in the mid-60s -- but it was the day after my trip to Chicago for the Nintendo Switch event, and I just didn't have the energy. So I seized the opportunity on Friday. And I dressed for success, too! I wore my padded shorts, thin socks, a bit of sunscreen, a bike helmet, and my Camelbak, which was full of water. Plus there was a snack bar tucked away in my saddle bag.
I started in Glacial Park and rode the Prairie Trail north to the Wisconsin state line. It was 11.6 miles round-trip. This was my idea of "taking it easy", but now I know better. That was way too long of a ride to start the season! I was exhausted when I got home. So, note to future Randy: start the season with a 5 or 6 mile ride instead.
As they say on the inter-webs, "pics or it didn't happen":
You can tell in a couple of the photos that there was a prescribed burn happening that day. I was worried the rest area just across the state line would be covered in smoke, but fortunately it wasn't. The wind directed it away from there.
There was one spot on the trail where you could hear a chorus of frogs singing away. I stopped on the way back just to listen to them for a while. They were very loud.
Ride stats:
- 11.6 miles
- 1 hour, 19 minutes
For the record, my season total for last year was 84.4 miles.