First morning with long-fingered gloves, first morning with toe warmers, plus leg warmers & base layers that have been in use the past two weeks… yes, winter is coming and summer is gone. Kevin and I never saw temps higher than 50, but no lower than 42. But no clouds, no wind to speak of, and nobody else out on the road. Well, we saw a small number, but not many.

Since it’s getting colder my breathing is becoming louder again, but there’s an odd common theme for many of my rides lately- they haven’t been particularly fast, but I’ve felt stronger than I’d expect. Doesn’t make much sense; if I actually was stronger, I’d be faster right? Maybe I’m just becoming at peace with not being quite as fast as I used to, recalculating expectations as I get older.

Road work? You said it. Skyline still has two sections of active, one-lane-control road work, near Bear Gulch and another just north of Old LaHonda. Descending 84 into Woodside has three separate sections now; thankfully, the “big” one, the section that’s been under construction since what, last March?, looks to be nearly completed, with new pavement in both lanes. If you hit all 5, like we do on our regular ride, you might get delayed a total of 15 minutes, possibly 20, something to keep in mind if you’re on a schedule.