Welcome back...

Saturday was my first ride in 12 days due to my back issues. I figure, if you're going to the pool, jump in the deep end.
We did the normal Eastover loop and, thankfully, it was a controlled pace for most of the ride. Once we hit the first climb on Old Leesburg, my HR skyrocketed. Considering it hadn't been above 80 for 12 days, 170 felt like I was having an infarction.
The ride split up because some wanted to do their 'training', so the vast majority of us just let them go. The four who split off weren't really missed and the remaining group rode tempo back to the Fort. It was a fairly uneventful ride. I didn't feel all that bad, but could tell I'd been hurt and missed quite a few days. No heroics from The Kid on this day. Still ended with 55 miles in just under 3 hours. Pretty much what I needed for my first ride back.
We'd planned to have a group this morning, but Doogie came up sick and the Rob/Casey duo were no shows. NID and I met and went out for a nice, slightly less than tempo/slightly more than spin ride through the cloudy Columbia morning. We ended up with 2 hours and right at 40 miles. And wouldn't you know it, as my luck always runs this way, the sun came out and it got warm right when I got home... :(-
The back feels good, but definitely tired. My abs are tired from taking a good bit of the strain. My legs are protesting like two of the Chicago 8. Time to get back on the ab/yoga workout routine.

Oh, I almost forgot...
The organizers of the Giro and Tour are a bunch a bitches for excluding Astana. Personally, I think they are afraid that Astana will win one, or both, of the Grand Tours from which they've been excluded.
The officials at the Tour of Cali are bitches too. The Rock Racing guys have paid their debt, aren't under investigation and all hold legal licenses from their respective countries. They should have been allowed to race.
I'm now rooting for Astana and Rock Racing...screw the system!