The time-honoured advice, "Drink before you're thirsty, and eat before you're hungry" indeed rings true. On a day as warm and sunny as today, when I, sudoriferous as ever, found that construction on that nice long bike-friendly stretch of Caņada Rd. means delays of as long as 20 minutes while a pilot car (bearing a sign with the legend "Cyclists do not pass") slowly leads traffic in one direction, and then another, delays due to a drainage upgrade (if I read the sign correctly). I had not been on that stretch of road in three or more years, even though my commute takes me quite close to it. I think that if I ride vigourously (20% faster: 18 kph, rather that my usual 15) I might complete this ride in three-and-a-half hours, which is only slightly longer than the usual commute. I need to leave home around 6.30, in order to avoid the construction delays on Caņada, which begin at 9.00; and this should also steer clear of the rush-hour of walkers and rollerbladers on the Sawyer Camp Trail.
... of course, I always feel more ready to ride when the weather is as glorious as it has been this week. Last week's riding was quite muddy and damp.