Proof that "use it or lose it" is true

Went out today for another ride (twice in one week, I'm gettin' crazy!). The total opposite of "springtime night road ride" from earlier in the week, this was "balls-out-cold singletrack day ride". And I overestimated myself yet again. A year or two ago, a ride like today would have been no problem. We rode harder and in colder temps than this two or three times per week. Ha. Not anymore.

I met DT and Dave from MORE at the Senica Greenway trailhead in MoCo, MD. The ride was billed by Dave (the organizer) as "casual pace, easy/intermediat terrain", which makes it even more embarrassing that I was only able to hang on for 5 miles until my head was spinning, and I felt like I was gonna barf up the three Pop-Tarts I had eaten for breakfast. The trail was nice, but the 30 degree air felt like it was searing my lungs with each breath. Added to that was the fact that my rear shifter doen't work in the cold anymore, and the bike was still ghost-shifting (see my CCT ride write-up for more whining on this) and the ride wasn't as much fun as it should have been (for me).

The terrain of the 2.5 miles of trail I saw was good. Not too hilly, but enough to keep you breathing hard. Some nice swoopy, flowing downhills. A couple of bridges built over streams and mud flats. I'd like to get back up there to try it again. Maybe after a lot of solo get-yer-fat-arse-back-in-shape rides around the old stand-by, Wakefield.

Thanks to DT and Dave for offering to slow the pace to give me a chance.

Not sure how well I'm gonna do at the (anti-) Inauguration Ride later this week. Wish me luck.