My workout today, was quite a straightforward one.  I was scheduled for a 90 minute Zone 1 / Zone 2 bike session.  When the weather turned out to be fantastic, I had the easy decision on what to do after work.  I would head outside and go for an evening bike ride.

I chose to ride from home to our local park, do three loops around the lake, and then head back home.  This is a fairly common ride for me and it works quite well.  To get to the park, the terrain is mostly downhill.  This gives me more than enough time to warm up before getting to the lake, where I usually kick up my effort slightly.  On the way home, it is obviously mostly uphill, and so I can finish my workout at a little higher effort, if needed.

The was only one problem with the weather being so nice. Almost everyone else had also decided it would be good to spend time in the park.  The park was absolutely crowded and I faced a number of challenges as a result.  Three times I had to swerve to avoid dogs on long leashes.  I know dogs are supposed to be on leashes in the park, but when that leash is fifteen feet long, an owner really doesn’t have control of their dog.  I don’t blame the dog!

It wasn’t just dogs however.  I also had people just wander out of the walking lane, into to bike lane for no reason. The there are and the groups that walk five wide around the lake, taking over the bike lane completely.  I guess I recently wrote about the importance of going outside on the bike, and how it helps bike handling skills.  I certainly needed those handling skills this evening.

Nonetheless, despite the obstacles, I had a really good ride.  It was fun and my legs are feeling a little bit stronger after the weekend, which is very encouraging. It was also great to take advantage of the weather.  We are forecast to have more snow on Thursday.  I won’t be able to do an evening bike ride, if that turns out to be true.