starting to get base miles in

So I went out for a ride at the lake today starting at the park's trail head, out around the loop at Rainbow Basin and back. Everything was pretty firm, though there are a lot of places where the deer run the tail. I never noticed before how much deer affect the trail. (It doesn't help either that the trail is still wearing most of autumn's leaves.)

Slow going, but it was unusually easy for me to remember that base miles are all about m*g*h, about work put out, not how fast that work gets done. The last five miles (maybe seven) where survival mode and with a fair share of cramping. Afterwards I felt pleasantly exhausted and it seemed like I was recovering well. A few hours after finishing I went to one of our local mexican restaurants. A couple bites into my chips and salsa, I swear on all that's holy, I got a cramp in the roof of my mouth.