summer weekend late afternoons

I have gotten into a routine during the summers that is close to heaven on earth. At about 4 pm I don my cycling gear and head out for a 25 mile ride. The summer months in this mid atlantic state bordering a great lake to the north have late afternoon temperatures ranging from 70 to 85 and generally clear sunny skies. My route takes me over a rolling back country loop where traffic is thin and dogs too tired to chase. It's a tough route with several short out of the saddle power climbs and short 35 mph descents. I work up a good sweat and it gets the heart pumping.

For the last couple of years my exercise has pretty much dwindled down to the weekend days. The days of 300 mile weekly training logs with midweek and weekend races are likely over, although I always have that lingering thought of .........

The apres ride routine is just as relaxing. A 30 minute lounge in the front porch Adirondack chair guzzling a cold water bottle chatting with the woman over her retitement plans and deciding what we will do for dindin that evening.

It's now mid day Monday and I'm yearning for Saturday again.