Training Log Archive: CleverSky

Bike to Work Day, on the Incubus. Cool, delightful morning. Heading in this direction, I was sure that I had the route worked out, but I outsmarted myself again. There was one route through Devens (on Givry St.) that looked fine in the photos, although Google Maps wouldn't let me run a route through there. Turned out to be blocked by an uncrossable fence, and I had to back out. Then when I did get to Mirror Lake, I was surprised to find that a road that GM had shown as okay turned to dirt as it approached the beach. Then there were remnants of broken pavement before it degenerated to a jeep trail... then a large footpath. On my way through, I came unbelievably close to a young deer that tried evading me a couple of times by scooting a short distance up the trail and waiting to see if I'd stop. I kept riding (not really road bike conditions, but you keep it slow and use a low gear) and tried guessing my way through, but I made a wrong choice and the unpaved conditions continued, until I spotted a clearing up ahead that I hoped was where I was intending to go, but it was actually the golf course. Rode on the cart paths until I found a road, which dead-ended to my right but continued on the left, so that's the way I went. I soon came to a spot that I recognized, remembered where I was from last night, and concluded that the dead end I had seen must have not actually been one. I rode back, and sure enough, it was actually a tight, blind corner, and I was in fact very close to where I needed to enter the woods.

Free breakfast at work, and a free bike bottle. Six of us at this facility rode today, and three of us were from my software group. I was quite happpy with how it went, and will likely do it more times this summer, and I've now worked out the proper way to get through Devens, so it should go much more smoothly. I didn't make my 90 minute target this time, because of the extra (very slow) distance, but It should go fine henceforth.

With Nancy on the Merrimack at sunset, in the orange boat. It's hard to notice that there's any current when you're out there, but the speed graph sure makes it clear.