self portrait

Bears dig pacelines too! haha

Picture taken a few weeks

ago on Rovers Run Trail

in Anchorage, courtesy of muni.org

The sound of NPR streaming out of my radio/alarm clock began to penetrate the deep sleep I was experiencing. Stuck between sleep and consciousness, I was confused. Was I drifting to sleep or being woken up? The sound of falling rain suddenly penetrated the haze, and I became lucid enough to open my eyes. It was dark in our room, and the glowing neon numbers on the clock read 4:56 am. I breathed deeply and closed my eyes again for a moment, then sat up and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

I sighed heavily as I gathered the clothes I would wear once I arrived at work, stuffed them into a fabric tote bag, and put them in my pack. Then I dressed in my wet-weather cycling gear. Base layer tights I use for cross country skiing, Smartwool socks, cycling shoes, long sleeve base layer on top, and a breathable/waterproof shell. While the temperature hovers in the 50s, that set up is usually enough to keep me warm, at least for the short ride to work.

I quickly packed a lunch, then sat down to scarf some cereal as I surfed the internet. Then it was time to go, and I headed out into the rain. The rain was steady this morning, but it wasn't a downpour like yesterday. All of the animals that call Westchester Lagoon their home were out cruising the water and I stopped to watch them for a moment.

Work today cruised by, but I was pretty tired by the end of the day. It was actually kind of dark on the commute this morning, and I decided to pick up some red blinkies and fenders after work today. When I got home, I went to work installing the fenders and attaching the blinkies. I ordered a seat post bag and a fuel tank yesterday from REI.com (we didn't have them in stock) and once those arrive, I'll be ready for some longer rides without my huge pack, which will be a similarly huge relief for my back. Not sure what the weather is going to do in the next couple of days; I heard mixed reports of blue skies and a new storm moving in. Either way, rain or shine, it's my weekend, and I'm going to get out on my bike and log some miles.