The First Ride

The SW Commuter Trail. 3/2/24 dwm

 After a February that broke records for high temperatures, a tornado and the first-ever time Madison hit 70-degrees during the year's second month, March came in like a warm, fuzzy lamb.

 Friday was warmer than usual and Saturday highs reached the mid-60s, so it was time to get out the bike.

 I pumped up the tires and was ready to go. For the first ride of the year, I like staying closer to home in case there are mechanical issues.

 It's nice to getting the miles in locally while testing fitness compared to where I left things last year.

 From Verona, I headed north on the Military Ridge Trail to the Southwest commuter trail as far as the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse.

 Originally I planned to go south following the Badger State Trail until the pavement stopped. That would've taken me 30 miles.

There was a stiff south breeze that added an extra challenge to the first ride. I decided it was better to finish the first ride in good spirits while looking forward to the next than grinding the last ten miles while regretting my decision.

Twenty miles doesn't make a big dent in my goal but it gets me on the board earlier than usual. If the March weather continues to be a month or two ahead of itself, I'll have more chances to ride.

The best thing about the first day of riding was the large number of people out.  There were dozens of people walking and running along the trail and dozens more back on the bike for their first time this year.

Resolve to ride in 2024, get out there!

Ride 1: 20 miles

Total miles: 20