Thursday, July 19

I know it is going to rain. The morning trip in was rather uneventful, but after an inauspicious start it clocked in at under 30 minutes elapsed (29:53, 16.2 mph). This was mainly because I was able to find a slightly shorter route. Instead of taking a left on Sherman from Walden, I went one light further, took a left on Raymond, went by the projects, and then ducked under the train tracks in a wide, well-paved underpass, which put me right on to Yerxa, which I took right across Mass Ave and, after going the wrong way on Hollis and passing a couple of cops (flee to Somerville!), to Davis.

The start, however, was not good, and I was surprised with my sub-30 time (30-31 total). I had to wait for a light at Comm and Wash, and then at the Watertown Street left, so by the time I hit Watertown Street I felt like I had been sitting at lights for half an hour. Further along, however, I hit no lights, which is how my time improved so dramatically, despite taking it relatively easy on Mount Auburn Street. I got a competitive fire back when I got to pass and drop a couple other riders (stay focused; realize it's a race) and that propelled me to the finish.

Now, where Reservoir crosses Vassal and becomes Walden in Cambridge there is supposedly a rotary. There is a rotary sign, even though Vassal has a stop sign, and a yellow circle painted on the street. Which doesn't work. This is Boston, for crying out loud. If you want a rotary, you better build a rotary (and not one of those pansy roundabouts they have in the Midwest). Still, with Vassal drivers blowing through the stop sign a lot, it is one of the scarier points on the ride.