It took about ten days to get back out on the tarmac, but after a couple hellaciously busy weeks and a small vacation to get in some hiking, Red Chameleon and I finally got to see some action.

I have really been yearning for some time off the grid, and finally got an opportunity to take some vacation. Instead of just chilling at home, we headed up to Kamikochi in Nagano to finally conquer a long desired hike, and it was a complete blast.

The good news is I was finally able to get out on the tarmac for some limited spinning on this sad and soggy Sunday morning. The bad news is the rain ultimately hindered what would have otherwise been an outstanding ride.

Thursday a supremely late night, and Saturday morning I had an early morning appointment and did not ride. I will ride Sunday morning, the last pre-hiking ride before heading to Nagano for an unabashed, unplugged, wonderfully joyful wilderness jaunt.

Despite having some early morning meetings, I still managed to eke out a decent 36k ride before diving into a heavy day at the office. Even though it was a much later start than I prefer, I was intent on hitting the tarmac and logging some kilometers.

Finally, after damn near six days of consecutive dawn rain, Red Chameleon and I were able to get out for an early morning meditative maneuver. It felt absolutely fantastic to be riding again and burning unnecessary calories after my diet kind took a nosedive for the last week.

The past three days have been primarily permeated with perpetual precipitation, preventing proper pedaling performance. Red Chameleon and I last hit the streets on Tuesday morning, but are now once again stuck with three days of unwanted rest.

This morning I was determined to ride regardless of the weather, rain or shine, hot or cold, humid or dry. Red Chameleon and I hit the tarmac while it was still dark, riding upstream as the sun rose in the rear-view on this lovely Tuesday morning.