Cool. Always nice to read about other people's rides. I was balking at your B level pace (16-18+) because ours is 22-25+ (the As ride above 30 on a regular basis) and then I realized you have hills and we are pretty much flat. D'oh!
Great job. I know what you mean about being humbled. At the first sprint 2 weeks ago, one guy made a very early jump and I decided to try to catch him. So I'm chugging into the wind at 27mph when I feel a hand at my back and our club manager pushes me and says 'go get him young man!' Ha! I sat up right then and there as he then took off at 33+ to catch and pass him up easily. I'm not a sprinter... I'm sure not a climber. What I am is..... slow.
Cool. Always nice to read about other people's rides. I was balking at your B level pace (16-18+) because ours is 22-25+ (the As ride above 30 on a regular basis) and then I realized you have hills and we are pretty much flat. D'oh!
Great job. I know what you mean about being humbled. At the first sprint 2 weeks ago, one guy made a very early jump and I decided to try to catch him. So I'm chugging into the wind at 27mph when I feel a hand at my back and our club manager pushes me and says 'go get him young man!' Ha! I sat up right then and there as he then took off at 33+ to catch and pass him up easily. I'm not a sprinter... I'm sure not a climber. What I am is..... slow.
Man I ride at 22-25 all the time and I'm NEW!.....oh? Miles per hour?
Crap. I suck.
I avged 15kph on last nights ride.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
That's awesome Fish! You're kicking ass! I average about 16mph or so on my flats rides, I'm horrible in flats. My buddy and I hooked up with a big group ride last weekend for a few minutes, and it was my first experience like that. It was very humbling, I know what you're talking about. It was at the end of a 3 hour ride, so I was wiped anyway, but I got dropped in about 15 seconds.
I'm usually pretty nervous to go on group rides, and haven't done any yet. I applaude you just for getting out there and doing it. That's just awesome.
Damn, you guys make me feel slow. My pace in km/hr is about the same as yours in mph.
I passed on a "semi-organized" group ride this weekend, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up. The A group is >30 km/hr. I don't know what the pace of the B group is, other than a little slower. I average about 25 on a solo ride, so I know I could probably add 10% riding in a group.
That, plus the B loop was going to be about 75 - 80 km, and I haven't done anything longer than 30 so far this season.
Enough excuses, it's time for action.
__________________
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
It took me 5 years to get to the B group level I am at now. Even then, as you have seen firsthand, the beginning of the season is just plain ugly due to deconditioning. Last year, the Arkansasians (?) saw me a month later in May, and I bet they could tell you my riding level was much better in May than it was this year in April (with, essentially, no outdoor rides under my belt).
Anyway, it fluctuates. This week was not a good week. Probably cosmic karma coming back to bite me in the ass for the cracks I made above in this post. We had 6 guys who met for our group ride on Sunday. Why so few? Not just Mother's Day, but also, it was 44 degrees and raining. I was determined to go, but the problem was that 4 of the guys were 'A' riders, and the one other 'B' was a good B. We rolled out quickly for the weather, I thought, at 20 mph. Within a few miles, it was evident I was not going the whole ride - I have legs that are notoriously hard to get going in the cold. Add in wetness and it's a recipe for disaster. Two of the guys hung back while the others went up and got a 200 yard lead on us. I told these guys, as we headed up to our usual pick-up pace point (when we were already going 22 mph in the cold rain) that they should go without me. When I got about 40 yards behind them on a climb right before a major intersection, they jumped to make the light and I headed back. Up to that point, our average speed was high. For the return 11 mile trip, my avg dropped 1.6 mph, meaning my cruising speed dropped a full 3.2 mph on average.
The ride back was in miserable solitude, punctuated by thoughts of 'who am I trying to fool? I am no bicyclist!' I was frustrated by my lack of holding a perfectly easy pace for me on a dry day on a day like this was. Every time I got up out of the saddle, the chamois of my tights felt like a wet paper towel. My feet were soaked to the bone and cold - I was the only one of our six who didn't have some booties on. What a mistake. I should've stayed in bed, I thought.
But there were other times, like when I had to get out of the saddle to crest a small rise, that I imagined this is what the greats of the cycling world must feel like - training in loneliness and miserable conditions. And, somehow, my cadence would pick up and my speed would increase then. I had something in common with those elite cyclists -training in pain.
In the last few miles, I felt much better knowing the ending was coming, and I was going past a 10K charity race. Runners passed on my right in groups, and I had to move to the center of the 2 lane road. All of a sudden, I hear 'Hey Kaiser! Go!!!' from one of the runners. My friend and riding buddy Laura was running the race and spotted me. I immediately smiled as I saw the 44 year old mom of 3 who rides all year long. She has completed the Hawaii Ironman, and qualified this last year for the 1/2 Ironman Nationals. She missed qualifying for the Ironman Nationals by one spot. Her yelling at me kept me going and instantly made me feel better. Farhter up the road, I got yelled at by another runner, a guy from our riding group named Andrew. When I finally got to my car, I felt much better as I peeled the wet clothes with my pruned and white digits. I WAS a cyclist. A slow, wet cold one, but one of the fraternity nonetheless.
Sounds like a Monday motivator to me.....very nice read Kaiser, I enjoyed it.
I don't ride a road bike, so I may not really understand where your coming from, but I always just ride for the FUN of it. Not to be faster or go farther than yesterday. It's just nice to ride my bike through the beautiful trails or even on the road and see the scenery. I think to myself, "man, there are people out there who CAN'T ride even if they wanted too." That always inspires me to just look ahead and enjoy the rush of the ride itself, and not the negative thoughts of, "I was a little faster yesterday," or "Man, that guy just blew by me like I was a tree."
I guess my point is similar to those cartoons ODB posted about becoming too performance focused and forgetting to have fun. It happens to all of us, but I always enjoy myself much more when I try to ignore those thoughts.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
Location: Philly on one side, Pittsburgh on another, the Green Between...
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Great read, Kaiser. Lance once said, "Pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever." My motto is simpler. When I don't want to go, or when I feel I can't go on, I say to myself, "I got no quit in me."
Thanks for that Kaiser. I've had my share of cold, wet rides too. And I still hate thinking about them, but I guess it's what makes us cyclists.
I guess I fall somewhere between you and BeachHead when it comes to riding.
I've always been a recreational rider. I have done a few cycle touring vactions, both solo, and with my wife. Cape Breton Island (my first, and the best by far); Philly - Washington; Montreal - Quebec City and others.
I love to be on my bike, to feel the sun on my back, the wind in my face, to breath in the fresh air, to take the time to see the world go by, instead of being isolated in a steel and glass cocoon.
I've never considered myself a racer (with the exception of the one Tri I did). Yet last summer, I found myself doing TT's for the first time in my life. 15 km, on a fairly flat course, and I was hard pressed to finish in 30 minutes. However, even in charity rides, I want to be out front. And I do track my time and speed every ride, always hoping to get faster, stronger, better.
I guess I'm just conflicted.
__________________
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
Quick update on me (since it's all about me :p). So far, other than the ride described above, the season is going well. I am riding more than I planned to, but not burning out. Ahhh... the benefits of having a structured training plan for your rides. I'm too old for the 'brute force' method now, so I need to plan and follow that plan. Yesterday, I rode a recovery ride and kept my HR WAY down just like I was supposed to. Talk about keeping your ego in check. I've also started taking the Amino Vital stuff (Fit Chick recommended it in Bicycling a few issues back) - I have no idea if it helps with my recovery or not. It doesn't seem to be hurting it. Anyone else take this stuff?
I've been able to hang with the front 'B' ride all year, which is one of my goals. Now I have to up the long mileage. So far my long ride this year has been a measly 50 miles.
Poor upper body had to take a break due from lifting to a wrist injury. Just got back into it this morning and I've lost some strength. Funny thing is.. I don't care much. Riding has taken over.
some reflections on last night's club ride...
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