Did You Ride Today?

[Red Rider]

Rode Friday afternoon & yesterday morning & today. Almost made up for not riding for 6 days.

[Red Rider]

Every Tuesday I run our local Assoc. of REALTORS (R) weekly marketing meeting. I enjoy it; I like public speaking & have no dread of the microphone. Mostly it's smooth sailing -- which allows me to start and end on time -- and occasionally I get a regular who won't abide by the rules. One guy is especially unwrangleable -- multiple private conversations have had no impact -- and he pushed some buttons today. I keep my cool; it's not that bad, but it was one of several events that ramped up my stress level.

Thus I managed this and now find that I need my foam roller to make my legs quit complaining.

[pv0463]

Still under the weather, but feeling a little better than last weekend. So I got out, stayed local, and decided that ANY mileage would be good mileage. I could only muster the strength for 20 miles. I was afraid I went out too late and that it would be hot, but was not too bad. As soon as I got back and sat down on the couch I 'crashed' into a two-hour nap. This cold/flu/what-ever thing I have is a real bitch. I'm ready for it to be gone now.

[Red Rider]

I went for hills today to be close to home, and I'll do the long base-miles ride tomorrow. It worked out well for me; even though I'm not training for a race, I don't want to lose the fitness I've gained over the summer.

Denial is a deep river.

[VegaVixen]

I last rode this charity metric in 2008. Report here.

Rode it again today, and though the recorded mileage is slightly off (probably because I started/stopped the computer at different points four years ago), the climbing is essentially the same, as was the route.

I started with the first group (including the local racer boys), and managed to stay with the group that got spit out when those racers went off the front and disappeared.

Hung with that "B" lead pack through the first 29.5 miles, avg'ing 17.6mph to a rest-stop, where I slammed two high-carb (aka "Enlive!") and sipped some water. I left that rest-stop before that group did, and wound up riding the remaining 28.86 miles solo.

The group I'd been riding with caught up with and passed me at 41.9 miles, where I had suffered the dreaded chain-suck and had to stop for a minute to get the chain back on. I managed to catch back up with them by the rest-stop at 44.1 miles.

I slammed another high-carb drink along with a few sips of water and pushed off again before they did, quads already aching deeply for lack of perfusion (no cramps at all), but knowing I had just 16 miles miles left. Turned out it was only about 14 more miles , but between that last rest-stop and the finish loomed two short but steep climbs which maxed at 11% and 13.5%, respectively.

Last time I rode this particular ride four years ago, I had to clip out on that 13.5% grade and walk 'til it was only about 3%. Legs just had nothing left at that point. This time, crested on the bike, albeit in 39x25. But I did it!

Don't think my legs weren't complaining all the way up, though. I just did the "Jens Voigt," and yelled out, "Shut up, legs!"

Once I'd passed that point, I knew that, except for a few rollers, the rest was a piece of cake by comparison, so I put it in 53x12 and stood and compelled my legs and body to get me to the finish asap. They complied, and I finished with an average of just 16mph over that last half of the ride, for an overall avg of 16.7mph, 0.4mph faster than four years ago.

Slower than I'd hoped for, but I'll take it, given how little I've ridden this year outside.

Other stats: avg HR 167, max 184, max speed 38.6mph, total climbing 2935'. There were other short, steep climbs throughout the route, including two others maxing at 11% and one maxing at 12.5%, but those came earlier in the ride when my legs were fresher, so they didn't hurt as badly as those last two.

At least the legs have recovered now. (Actually, by the time I finished my lunch, the achiness had subsided, and I and my long, skinny members were friends again. )

As far as the temps this year (earlier than four years ago), I could have cut glass at the start, but knew that if I kept pace with that lead pack, I'd warm up. No arm- or leg-warmers. Just shorts, sport-bra, summerweight ss Cheerwine jersey. Quite warm at the finish. Nice pasta lunch.

Felt soooo good to be riding again. Had not ridden, indoors or out, since my last TT on September 13.

Home now, showered, and enjoying an adult recovery beverage. Or three.

[Red Rider]

WTG, VV!

Here's to you:

[Red Rider]

Another Sunday, another shop ride. After yesterday's hills, the flats made my legs happy.

My last ride for the week -- will be out of town for business.

[VegaVixen]

Thanks, RR!

I think I now have now logged a little more than 1/10th of the road miles you've logged this year!

[Red Rider]

Originally Posted by VegaVixen

Thanks, RR!

I think I now have now logged a little more than 1/10th of the road miles you've logged this year!

And you're still rackin' up the miles.

You go, girlie.

[M2M]

first, shakedown ride on the new Helix -
38 miles around PV -
the verdict ??????
O-M-G !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!