Since last year’s encounter with four dogs chasing me on Gene Campbell Road I avoided biking there. I biked on that road for several years prior to the dogs chasing me but the one incident stopped me going there. I wanted to drive my Jeep down the road to check out the situation but it is out of the way and I never made the drive. Today I decided this needs to be put behind me. So the route today included a west bound ride on Gene Campbell Road. I thought in my mind if the dogs chased again I would use my cell phone to call 911 to get some legal presence and the owner to restrain the dogs. More on this in a moment.

The picture perfect weather for today’s ride helped me keep the speed up as I rode north and west. Even when I turned to the southeast going into the 9 mph wind I could get my speed up to 18 mph to 20 mph. The low humidity (for our area anyway) of around 40% meant the airflow evaporated my perspiration quickly and thus I stayed cool even in the sun. When I rode in the shade the temperature was very pleasant. With the late afternoon start (2:30PM) the shadows covered many sections of the roads. To go with that I could smell honeysuckle and wax leaf ligustrum blooms which pleased the nose. Partly cloudy skies and 87 degrees made this an enjoyable ride.

Day three of mulch hauling and spreading went well. The pile shrunk but still remains. With only a 35 foot bed left to cover it appears we bought more than we need. Monday I will finish the remaining flower bed. So the this three day exercise did not inhibit my biking other than the time of day. I wondered what we would do with the left over mulch in the driveway but our neighbor across the street said they need some and will buy what we don’t need. Whew! I won’t have to drive around it for too long.

Now back to the dog chase situation. I think the mulch exercise and increased biking activity enhanced my ability to go faster for longer stretches even though I am a geezer. This came into play as I turned onto Gene Campbell Road. My memory of the dog chase location indicated around the 15 mile point I should pass the dogs residence. I wanted to keep my speed at 18 mph or above with the plan to outrun the beasts. Along this road the houses not many houses front the road except the dogs’. Prepared for the worst I looked down the driveway to their house expecting them to run out but I did not see one dog in the driveway or the yard. My first thought: the dog chase threat has receded but based on past experience I know this hasty judgment can be wrong. So I will try the road again soon to validate the dogs return to captivity with a wary eye on their yard.

Tomorrow is Easter so biking but I will watch the Paris-Roubaix on NBCSports (recorded). We will visit my wife’s brother and family for the traditional gathering of relatives, friends and neighbors in Splendora, TX.

Today’s ride recap:

• 2:17:30 riding time moving
• 15.4 mph average speed
• 21.4 mph max speed (25.8 mph according to RideWithgps.com)
• 80.0 RPM average cadence
• 35.28 miles today
• 163.02 miles this week (Monday – Saturday)
• 179.40 miles in April (days biked: 6)
• 1398.75 miles YTD
• Garmin Connect data link

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4-7-2012 Home Weather Station End