Training log: Week 2, continued

Tuesday 11/13 Cross Training: Tempo+ Ride 16.4 miles

I hustled home a bit early today to get on the bike. It was warm enough to ride outside today (about 60F), and I managed to squeeze in around 45 minutes of riding before I ran out of daylight.

There was a steady wind out of the South/Southwest, which was mostly crosswind on this particular route. It made my planned tempo ride just a bit more challenging. I averaged about 19.6 mph for the 16.4 miles with maybe 5 minutes of warmup beforehand.

This time of year, daylight fades fast. The sun was setting by 5:15. There are many reasons to be off the road by that time if you are a cyclist, one of which I was reminded of on today's ride: deer. I had a near miss when a dear crossed a scant few feet in front of me. He was close enough that I felt warmth as he ran by.

The sound of hooves on the pavement was a first too, as usually when I see deer crossing the road I am in a car. I was on my guard because I had heard another deer crashing through the brush a few seconds before, but this one passed so close in front of me that I wouldn't have had a chance to avoid him in any case. Lucky break.