Personas

Since arriving in New England a few weeks ago my days have been filled with quaintness and easy base miles. I've also started running 3-4 miles in the mornings to break it up a bit, but for the most part I've just been eating healthy and spending time on the bike.
The riding here is unbelievable. I've visited and ridden in every New England state numerous times and I really believe the area I'm staying in here on the coast of Connecticut just outside of New Haven is the nicest. The roads are nearly deserted, the asphalt is as smooth as the tusks of an adolescent Wooly Mammoth, and the scenery is idyllic. The trees and foliage here are so dense and enormous that you don't need to wear sunscreen on rides because you're enveloped in shade for the entirety of a ride. There aren't any mountains to climb here, but there are some substantial hills which will certainly humble you if you're a retired cyclist like myself. The weather is also my favorite combination possible: sunny and cool enough to ride hard for a few hours without breaking a sweat. I usually leave the house with armwarmers and gloves on and shed the armwarmers about mid way through the ride only to finish a few hours later with them pulled back up. It does'nt get much better that this. I wish the rest of the team was up here for some company, but I've managed to only have to ride solo a few times and the Ipod loaded with podcasts has helped.
I rode with Juan Benedicto "Wrestles Wolves" Wheelarosa this afternoon, and we spent two and a half hours discussing my persona for next season. Wheelarosa has embraced a Navajo persona and is planning on mounting the podium wearing as much turquoise and feather jewelry as possible. I'm most likely going to have some sort of barbarian alter ego similar to Conan for my race persona next season. I remarked that I love the fact that we view racing as most civilians view Halloween.