Today was just the perfect Sunday. I woke up early, did a little reading, and then took the Brompton to S.’s for a ride over to Patterson Park where we met friends for a walk. There were dogs, guys practicing football, loud noises coming from the ice rink, a trip down the slide, swinging, a round of knee-slap (S. invented this excellent game–ask her for a demo next time you see her), and then we found a basketball and discovered that C. is a good shot and S. can get significant air. I switched Brompty from one car to another for a ride to brunch, and then I unfolded it and rode away–what a great bike. I rode down the hill on Harford Road and took a quick right into Herring Run Park. I’ve passed this park a bunch of times, and if I lived in this neighborhood I’d surely come down here all the time, but for me it was a total surprise to find this 2.5 mile loop trail along a stream. It was crispy cold, the sun was shining, and for 15 minutes it felt like I was out in the country. After the loop I headed toward Lake Montebello for a few laps and some fantasizing about future training rides because, you know, I’m an athlete. And then it was home on relatively empty streets under late afternoon sunshine, lucky me.