The Church of the Big Ring is back in session, hopefully I will be faithful in attending weekly. The pastor welcomed me back with open arms and then promptly reminded me of my sins. Yes I was back on the bike for the second weekend in a row. Thankfully with age I’ve learned not to let the excitement of returning to road after months of couch and beverage preparation drive me into an all out big ring two hour mash and sprint fest. Allows me to get on with the day instead of curling up in a ball of pain. I did get a shot in even though I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do it – came off a downhill to find way to tasty a treat to ignore, a Chevy Suburban waiting to turn left at a four way intersection. I timed it perfectly rolling up to the trailer hitched bumper and accelerating with them through the turn. I was in the draft as we broke 20mph, dropped into the 15 cog and then the 13 hitting about 30. Whoo wheee here we go! 40 yards later and in need of dropping into the 11 cog for 35mph+ it was whoo whee where’s the Oxygen! and I drifted off my choice draft suffering over the next mile and a half to recover. Oh yeah a long long way to go…