Activity: road cycling
Location: The Plains, VA > Marshall > Upperville > Airmont > The Plains
Distance: 64.5 mi. (rolling)
Duration: 3:28
Weather: partly cloudy and mild, 44-50 degrees
Climbing: 4,000′
Avg HR: 152 (max 186)
Type: aerobic

The PPTC “Mild-Mannered Meander” ride was one of those rides that was lengthened out of practical necessity. Originally scheduled to be 48 miles, Sunday’s threat of pouring rain made many in the group decide to ride the original, longer version of the cue sheet.

And it was a great ride. There wasn’t a lot of “attack mode” in the group, save for Al, who rode off the front from the beginning and never really looked back. The rest of us rode mostly as a unit, save for the leader, Mark, who made a wrong turn along the way and met us at the rest stop in Upperville (where the BBQ slow-cooking in front of the town store was very inviting).

I was really only in shape for 59-or-so miles, as the group pulled away from me at that point and I didn’t quite have the extra energy to rejoin them. It’s the off-season, so that’s expected. But I only finished about two minutes behind the lot, so it’s not bad at all. I’m happy with how this ride went, for sure – but the cleanup of the bike, with all of the snowmelt and road salt residue, was hellish.