The weather has been miserable for bicycling: cold and raw with rain. Today it was supposed to be cloudy, but they were predicting temperatures reaching the high 50s. This morning, though, they had revised the estimates downwards -- only into the low 50s. But given that it's supposed to rain tomorrow and possibly snow the day after that, today was the best chance for some good bicycling for a week.
Lucy and I took the boys to the 
Norwottuck Rail Trail. I had the plan that we would start at Station Road and ride east toward Belchertown with Daniel -- it only goes about a mile that way. Since Daniel is just starting to ride, I figured there would be little traffic that way and that part is in the Lawrence Swamp, so there are no big cuts and fills where I would have to worry about a little guy sailing down a steep embankment and into the great beyond. At the end, we would turn around and ride back. Then, we could leave Daniel with Lucy while Charlie and I could ride to the other end where Lucy would pick us up. It was a great plan! Unfortunately, Little Daniel decided he wasn't quite ready to ride today and Charlie decided it was too cold. So after about a half-mile, we turned around and got the boys back in the car and Lucy took them home. I decided to ride on.
The first half of the Norwottuck trail is generally uphill -- until you reach Amherst center. Then it's mostly downhill until you reach Hadley. Then it's flat to the Connecticut River. I felt good all the way out to the river. Once I reached the end on the other side, I took a break, ate an Atkins bar I happened to have in my pocket, and then walked back across the bride. A fellow riding by inquired whether my bike was OK -- I assured him it was fine. It was nice to have people checking to make sure I didn't need help. A woman perkily inquired if my bike needed a rest. I assured her it was me that needed to stretch my muscles a different way.
My goal on the way back was to aim for the Wendy's in Hadley and stop to get some chili. On the way out, I had debated cutting my ride in half by turning that way to begin with, but decided since I wasn't likely to get another good ride this week, I had better push myself now. But, I began to run out of energy as I got to Wendy's. I stopped and had chili -- it was wonderful and spicy (although I was dismayed to discover that corn syrup is the second ingredient of the hot sauce -- I never would have guessed.) When I got back on the bike, I was heading into the wind and I had stiffened up nicely and felt like could barely creep along. I managed to make it up the first two hills, and then had a long downhill run, but after I turned the corner, I found I really couldn't manage even a gentle rise anymore, so I walked for a bit. I got on campus, rode some more, walked up another gentle hill, and then rode through the neighborhood -- HOME! About 18 miles in all -- almost twice as far as my previous longest ride so far (but not as fast).
It would have been more comfortable to have cut off about 5 miles, but I'm glad I got a longer ride in. Now I don't have to feel guilty until the weather turns nicer.