Thoughts from my Long Ride

I had my last long ride until Musselman today...3.5 hours (plus a little extra) and 62.8 miles. I really wished I had been riding with someone today. I got lonely with only my thoughts to entertain me. Here are a few golden ones:

• Why do small towns feel the need to name themselves? I went through New Haven "A Welcoming Community". Would we think it was not welcoming if they didn't say so?
• I am going to make a special Musselman playlist and listen to it exclusively until the race. I'm tired of getting just one phrase of a song stuck in my head for miles and miles. I might even print out the list, so if I get stuck on a song I can "fast-forward" to the next one.
• I really don't like how sticky my hands get after I eat a gel. I'm 35 years old...you'd think I could suck one of those down without getting it everywhere!
• I really need to ride with faster people. I have a hard time going faster when I am by myself. Today my average was 17.4 mph...not bad, but if I had been trying to keep up with someone probably would have been better.
• Oh no...there's that dead racoon I saw before I turned around, but now he's on my side of the road. Should I go to the left or the right...is a car coming....left or right...is a car coming....left or right...decide already....right....why was that so difficult?
• I can't believe how strong the onion smell was at the onion farm I passed.
• I usually hit a little wall around mile 40 or so and start to get freaked out that I am going to get hit by a car or that a dog is going to chase me. I don't think that will happen in the race because people will be around me, and I've ridden the course before. I wonder why that happens?
• I'm getting really good at blowing snot rockets.

I'm sure I had more thoughts than that, but since the value of them is already declining, I will stop right there!!

Have a great weekend!