First 50 mile day

This morning I rode down to The Mill to sit on the deck and make some progress in the book I need to finish for my reading circle. I had just finished my mocha and the brain was hitting full stride when Erin and Syd came by on a couple of fixies, and invited me along on a ride. At first I didn't want to change my plan, but then I remembered that I had my new arm coolers and sun hat in my bag, and hadn't yet taken them out on a long ride to test them.

You see, I was tragically born with dangerously low levels of melanin. I have a "ruddy complexion", as they say, and therefore a high risk factor for skin cancers. Indeed, just a couple of weeks ago I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my right cheek using a procedure called MOHS Surgery. (Leaving me with 6 stitches: 4 on the surface and 2 below.) Rather than abandon my desire to get into bicycle touring, I'm learning about ways to fight the sun. Today's ride was a great workout, and it proved to me that I could protect myself. By the end of the day I had four small burns the size of a homemade chocolate chip cookie: one on the back of each hand, and one on each knee. This problem can be solved.

Today's route took me from The Mill out on the mopac to Eagle, south to Bennet, and back along Highway 2 back home. Before this ride, my humble distance record was a mere 28 miles, and my rough map measures my journey so far at just shy of 50 miles. A spectacular distance by my standards. It was not long enough to sate Syd and Erin, though, so we parted ways at Bennet: I made a bee-line for home and they went wherever it is that amazon women go when no one can keep up with them.

All in all, a fun day. I'm going to add 11 more miles tonight when I ride down to Duffy's to see Her Flyaway Manner.