PEDAL HARDER

After an easy ride to work this morning along the CCT, I decided to take a different route home. Rock Creek Park is very different on a weekday, when Beach Drive is open to traffic, and you're pumping as hard as you can on the uphill, heart rate over 170 for 1.5 miles (peaking at 178), acutely aware that there's a long line of cars behind you with no room to pass on this winding road with the double yellow line. Exhilarating... but holy crap, I haven't kept my pulse that high for that long in years. This is a "once a week" route at most.

PS - I passed the 500-mile mark today! I'm averaging around 200 miles per month. I wonder if I'll keep this up when it gets cold out?