Back to Webster Hill, and the dogs are out again

Hoo-rah.

Finally!!!

After almost a month of too much wind, snow, etc. It's finally settled down enough to do my night rides on Webster Hill. Last year it was cold, but the air was still enough and dry enough to do this almost every night. I love doing this at night because it helps me sleep really well.

While I am impressed by the indoor trainer, getting on the thing is a motivational battle. Never mind dragging it out an unfolding it....

I really have to be in the mood, and I know I'm not alone on this. If WWUH is playing some decent jazz, I can endure.

Webster Hill is an area near a school, where there are a series of short step-up climbs that average maybe 7 to 8 percent grade. Webster Boulevard has a wide shoulder, good pavement, and amazingly, street lighting!!!!! You can totally let it rip on interval training with long, draining sprints. You can even get your speed monitored with the solar powered speed thing on the telephone pole.

West Hartford cops don't ever do speed traps, so if you are driving here, feel free to hammer down neighborhood streets as fast as you want. Never mind the kids occasionally out playing.

It's only a mile away, so if I have a mechanical failure I can limp home, or better yet, knock on Steve's door and maybe score a ride to the ER.

The biggest danger as a cyclist on the Hill is hitting a skateboard kid. They're always texting while riding fast skateboards. Of course, they are in Gothic Black. They are out as late as ten PM. And they always ride against traffic. Fortunately, though, you can usually see the glow of their displays, or their faces are lit up by that in ghoulish fashion.

Over the past couple years I've gotten to sort of know the Rumford neighbors, There's the smoking guy, the lady with the beautiful Springer, and various kids. Every body is cool. Tonight we had the girl scout cuties out selling their cookies. I was bummed that I didn't bring my wallet.

Usually, what I do is climb Rumford street about a dozen times, doing some sprints in between, maybe after the fifth one. By the time I start fading, maybe feeling cold, I'm done and back home. It's too perfect. I tried doing this in summer, but it's just not the same.

Tonight I kicked it, I floated to the top. It just felt so good, looking up at the clear sky and the stars, finally. The moon tonight was like a "New Harvest Moon" , I'm no astronomer, but it was pretty big, but just a small sliver on the bottom side.

I raced a coyote on the last sprint. It shot in front of me, I followed it down a sidestreet, then it ditched me behind a house. The amazing thing was how fluid and quiet this animal was. I see them often here. I also see a lot of "missing cat" signs on telephone poles.


peace out