Last Monday I rode 10 miles on the trail from Stateline to Liberty Lake, a ten mile ride on the trail and pretty basic. This weekend that same ride add a mile and a half and oh my gosh. The weather report said it would be sunny and breezy. Breezy heading out was nippy and refreshing. Breezy coming back was harsh and a struggle. Steve rode with me yesterday and felt sore and achy last night (he has not ridden since that first ride in January).
So today promised more seldom seen sunshine our friend Randy suggested we do a ride by his house. His words…”nice, not a lot of hills or traffic and about 10 miles. “ Reality was a little different. More like 12 and half miles and ok mostly rolling hills with few nasty ones thrown in, but the scenery was beautiful and if we can’t be cross country skiing this was fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon in February. We saw deer and herd of farmed buffalo. It’s February in the great Pacific Northwest after a previous year of record snows we get this pitiful excuse for a winter. Besides the wildlife we saw bees buzzing around some hives, a woman in SHORTS AND SANDALS washing her car and a man working in his garden…. In February!
Randy my heart thanks you for the great cardio workout and Steve who usually has a list of aches to report informs me in the last leg that “he feels better now than when he first started.” Mr. Encouragement himself!
Since 12 miles are not created equal it is obvious that I have some work to do, hill work that is. 
The good news is that I think that by next Sunday I will have a hundred miles in. Right now I am at around 73 miles.