revchuck 

Easy week after Tucson. Got back Tuesday night - Mardi Gras! - and did a recovery ride Wednesday. Both my legs and my brain were basically comatose all day, long days in the car are tougher on me as I get older. Thursday I did a 1:20 endurance pace ride with 3x(4x20") speed intervals. Yesterday was an hour at recovery pace. Today was supposed to be me sucking wheels on the fast local group ride, but it turned out all the local fast guys did a 40km TT in Beaumont; my boss was out there too for the race so I had to be the ride leader for the shop ride. There was a total of eight people on that ride, including me, evenly split between decently fast and pretty slow. We split into two groups after the rollout, but one of the guys in the faster group had mechanical issues and I had to stop to help him...and the other two proceeded on without us. We fixed his issue well enough for him to get back to the shop, and I ended up stuck in the slow group. The pace was sub-recovery - my average HR for the ride was 78 bpm, when I usually average just under 100 bpm on a recovery ride. Just another phase of lumpy gravy, I guess.

Three hours with climbing repeats tomorrow, then I start tapering for Rouge-Roubaix.

Heathpack 

@sarals, work work work. It will get better. Hard work is fun, so it all shakes out in the end.

@revchuck, lol on the sub recovery ride.

I had an interval workout on my schedule today & JRA for tomorrow. But we might get rain tomorrow, so I amalgamated today's interval workout with tomorrows JRA. Wound up riding my intervals solo out to one of the regroup spots for the CBS group ride. CBS is my club who I had some frustrations with about 6 weeks ago and I haven't ridden with them since. But I figured what-the-heck, they were riding my route so I figured I'd join up with them to ride back into town.

My intervals went well. The V0max intervals are a little scaled back on account of being supposed to take it semi-easy recovering from the eye surgery. So lol they felt semi-easy. Then some of the cadence intervals which have become fairly routine/easyish on the trainer but were much harder on the road today.

Then I met up with the group. Mostly I get dropped from this group very easily, it's a bunch of racing guys mostly younger than me. So my strategy is just to roll through the regroups (who needs to stop, really?). That worked out well today, once we got back in to town I was waiting for them.

I've never done the Sat ride because it tends to be way too fast but a bunch of them are racing tomorrow so things were fairly restrained. "Most important question: does this ride end with coffee?". Pleasantly surprised to find the answer was yes. Further pleasantly surprised by the pleasantness of the coffee conversation afterwards. I had a fun time.

Tomorrow if it doesnt rain, I'm going to head out with the Velo. They are our local roadie A holes but they have started doing an allegedly easy Sunday ride. We shall see. I have over time met a fair number of people from this group and they have seemed pretty nice to me. Might as well give it a whirl. Maybe they'll get coffee too.

Heathpack 

Oh yeah. And it was a 1500 cal ride at 80-85% intensity on a pre-ride slice of peanut butter toast and 1 bottle of water. That was the best post-ride latte evah.

Hermes

Seriously, who comes up with a name like Wip Van ******?

Racer Ex 

Wim Van.

See, Est, Wim Van.

Heathpack 

So I went out on the roadie a-hole ride and lol they were indeed a-holes. Got dropped from a surge-y paceline on the outbound leg of the route, maybe 10 miles into the ride. They don't publish the route ahead of time, just a written description of the route and I thought I knew where they were going. But they turned off into a side canyon and regrouped in there, I continued on and was thinking "WTF is wrong with these people?" when I saw no one at any of the logical regroup spots.

We had a big tailwind going out but once I turned solo into that headwind to go home, I was really thinking "what a bunch of ******s". Then eventually they came up behind me, I asked one guy where they'd been and he told me about the side canyon. But no one slowed or tried to scoop me up, they just blew past me on their "no drop" ride.

There was one woman on the ride, so of course I chatted her up at the beginning. She was talking all kinds of smack about CBS, so I changed the subject and asked her if she raced. Lol another earful on how she can't race because she has two kids and basically she'd be a bad mother if she raced. Took that opportunity to move up into a gap in the paceline. Yuk.

I was slower than the main group but faster than her. Some of the guys did hold back to ride with her- she showed up for the ride with one of them, maybe her husband? When I dropped off the back, I expected to get swept up by the queen bee and her drones but never did. Then the same thing happened when the main group caught me after the side canyon thing. She rode up, passed me, then slowed down. I came around her, a few guys dropped back to ride with her and again I expected to be swept up in that group but it never happened. Mostly it was a 50 mile solo wind fest TT for me, I rode with the group probably only 10 miles of the 60 mile route. Fine by me.

We were trying to beat the rain and I didn't quite make it. Fifty two miles into the ride, I'd only eaten 200 cal and probably had burned 1700. I was getting a little wombly-feeling, so stopped to eat a Clif bar. Last 10 minutes of my ride had rain, but it felt pretty good because I was almost home.

Surprised to look at my data and see a 200 mile week, how did that happen? Feeling deliciously pleasantly tired right now. Tomorrow is a rest day.

PS but I got a big fat 11 mile/1200 ft uphill QOM. Sweet. Big tailwind of course. Don't tell anyone.

echappist

at least you got in a decent work out. i though SoCal is supposed to be chill. sounds like a bunch of a-hole roadies that are dime a dozen here on the East Coast...


i don't get it

Heathpack 

Oh yeah, it was a good workout. I am forever getting dropped on these faster group rides, in which case I just go in to TT mode. So either way it's a win for me.

Hermes

They are a nickel a dozen here. Supply and demand - big supply...no demand.

revchuck 

I did the hill repeats today, in the rain of course. I felt unsurprisingly good, what with the rest and the bump from riding in Tucson. I hope that bump lasts through next Sunday!

Hermes

@Heathpack The queen bee and her drones. I love the concept. Why was she riding with CBS if she was going to talk smack about them with an existing club member? I guess somewhat of a rhetorical question.

Generally, I have found cyclists unable and mentally incapable of maximizing a group ride to coincide with riders' abilities. The power of observation and the idea of any practical communication to figure out what makes sense is lost once a pedal is turned.

It is usually racked up to asholeism but I think it is that and more. Running in groups is more ability based where runners of similar ability run together. There is no advantage to sitting in so either one can run at the group pace or not. A runner typically will not go to the front and accelerate the pace knowing that he can sit in and recover. Cyclists are always thinking that the goal is to make the ride hard for someone behind versus creating a flow of cyclists such that all get a good workout and speed is optimized.

I think group rides should maintain 5 bike lengths between riders. That will separate the wheat from the chaff and make them less *******y. Of course, some riders will never see each other except at the start and finish.

Racer Ex 

Rest is highly underrated. What's coming Sunday?

Had hoped to ski today.

Base: Windy (35-45 mph)
Summit: HIGH WINDS (55+mph) Causing lift closures

Trainer and gym instead I guess.

Heathpack 

Sorry this whole thing is confusing to anyone unfamiliar with the cycling social scene in our town.


CBS Cycling = my club who I mostly never ride with because they are too fast. Not a-holes, though. Very nice.
SC Velo = the queen bee's group, who I was riding with on Sunday. Roadie a-holes for sure. Not nice.


There is a lot of back story that I left out. Officially everybody gets along. But Mr. and Mrs. CBS used to be members of the Velo and then broke off when they opened their shop. They formed CBS Cycling in part because they are not a-holes and don't want to be. They have siphoned a lot of people off the Velo because they are so much better to ride with. So queen bee resents that and doesn't mind sharing her resentment. Pretty sure much of what I was hearing were passive aggressive comments being made with the intention that I'd pass the criticisms along.


The laughable thing is that the Velo now realizes that it might behoove them to be nice too. Hence this "Sunday Sportive" no drop ride. They go on and on about how on that ride they will ride to the abilities of the slowest rider and regroup as needed, etc. I don't really care one way or the other, I have no issues riding the route solo. But it is a joke that they are riding to the abilities of the slowest rider, they are even willing to drop their own queen bee.


Such drama. Cycling is a funny sport.

revchuck 

Rouge-Roubaix. My original plan was to do the gran fondo version as training for the Cheaha Challenge, but I started getting that itch...so I registered for M55+ for the race instead. After two trips to Tucson and one to northern Utah, the climbs aren't as intimidating as they used to be. I'm stronger and more confident than I've been since I started cycling eight years ago, so I wanted to try it one more time. I expect to get my head handed to me by the Ned Overend clones that show up, but they're going to have to work harder to do it. They're paying out the first ten places (combined 40+ and 55+) and there are 47 signed up, so I might even make twenty bucks.

Racer Ex 

My entry pseudonym with Bike Reg. Wim Van Ex.

happybday29475

I loved that Stan Nice registered for SSWC...and let somebody else take the win.

Hermes

I have an idea...for your next ride, I can show up with some men and you can have your own drones and we will promise not to drop you.

There always seems to be drama in sport. There have only been a couple of times in my life where I have found training partners / friends in many different sports where we shared the same goals, motivation and compassion and we were able to train together and have a lot of fun.

sarals 

Anyone want to hear about my track session today?

No?

Well here it is...

I had a VERY GOOD track session today. There were several firsts.

1) I warmed up in 84 gear inches, 36 laps, in 48/15. NO issues, I was strong at the end, even though my HR was close to VO2max (162 BPM).
2) I rode my first ever standing start full 500.
3) I rode the 500 in 90 inch gearing, 48/14 - first time I've ever ridden that gearing that I can recall.
4) I rode the race wheels - the trispoke (LOVED it) and the disc (LOVED that, too!).

The session went as follows: Barb and I did six laps on our own, then joined the paceline for the 30 lap. The first ten were quite mild. The last five laps were 25 - 26 MPH. We rode the final lap at 27 MPH, with my HR knocking on VO2max, but I tried hard to come around Barb in the sprint (I couldn't). Neither of us got dropped in the sprint, we were both there.

I rested for 15 minutes, then put the race wheels and aerobars on the bike. Gearing was 90 inches. Barb was the holder, I walked out to the 500 meter start spot, got on the bike, and then tried to leave at "One", which threw me off for just a second. Then I was slow getting going, because the resistance that big gearing offered (I know, it's relative) caught me little by surprise. I got up to speed, cognizant NOT to over do it, and settled in. I was OTS through turn one and most of turn two. I settled in to the aerobars, and concentrated on staying on top of the cadence, breathing, and riding the pole line. With 160 meters to go, I was really getting gassed, but I gave it a last push (and I was screaming while doing it) and crossed the line.

The time? Unofficially 44 seconds. It could have been 45 or 46, and that's fine with me! For my first ever 500, that's not too bad, even if it was 46 seconds.

It took everything out of me to do that, too.

Heathpack 

Nice workout, @sarals! Great to hear your back is ok doing some track efforts.


I rode 28ish miles in the freezing cold this am, 36F. Some V0max intervals and cadence work on the road bike. Tomorrow am I'm back to the TT bike (I hope. Its currently disassembled. Don't ask.), just some time on the bike and a little more cadence work and then coffee. Four people meeting me, yes at 4:30am. Should be a little warmer though.


I did my second spinal surgery today since my comeback. I was narrating what I was doing, as I am wont to do being that I always have someone around who is trying to learn. I found myself pointing out this and that subtle nuance when I was struck by the realization: I can see so freaking well.


Haha and my first surgery back, the one from last week- the people call and leave a message that there "is a problem". What??!! That dog was pretty perfect when she went home three days ago. On the return phone call, I learn the "problem" is that the wife let the dog jump off the sofa (the dog is not supposed to be on the sofa) and the husband was mad and wanted me to call the wife and yell at her. The dog is fine. Lol, no. I am not going to yell at the wife. But please. No more sofa. And don't leave me messages like that, they will only freak me out.

revchuck 

@sarals - Great to hear you're back at it with no problems!
@Heathpack - It's so cool to hear about your vision. I had my annual vision appointment last month and found that I have an early-stage cataract in one eye, nothing to do about it at this point, but it's good to know that having it fixed can be a big improvement rather than just maintaining the status quo. It was also cool to read "...as I am wont to do..."; your students would probably be unfamiliar with that expression.

Hermes

+1 Can't say it any better.

sarals 

@Everyone - thank you! yes, my back is doing fine, and I'm coming back!
@Heathpack - wow, I am SO glad your vision is not only improving, but is great. Whew!!! I'm happy for you!!

IBOHUNT

Stem sticker worthy?

IBOHUNT

Travel for a week or two and you miss a lot round these parts. Went to Minnesota where the Mall of America is. You can put 4 of the towns I live outside of inside that dag gum place. Had to use Google Maps just to find my way out. That just ain't right.
@Heathpack - great to hear the eyes are doing well. TT mode is a good one. Its rare that I go to a group ride. @revchuck - I read hill repeats and had to go back and read other pages. Good luck Sunday @sara - kudos

4 miles ru**i*g at noon then a 2x10 SP10 + 30 min Pace tonight. Still trying to belt sand off the holidays and work calories... Not doing very good at it.

Heathpack 

Second day back on the TT bike, haha that bike takes a little getting used to for sure. Sore neck and shoulders. My quads hurt. All good though.

Mr H recently completely disassembled the TT bike on account of it being completely infused with grit after that wet Fiesta race. It was reassembled with the saddle slightly high I think, trying to decide if I like it better that way.

This morning I rode with a friend, for the past three days she's some out with me on my workouts and seems content to do whatever I do. That's become an increasingly common thing with this particular friend. She's wicked on a bike, is a competitive (as in she tries to win) triathlete and also races her mtn bike some. The odd thing is that she rode with us a few times in our Nightcrawler group and then (nicely) bowed out because we were too slow for her. Not sure why all of a sudden she's being so friendly.

Thinking about that, I am struck by how much life is like that. You're just tooling along, doing your thing, and suddenly someone else is interested in joining you for awhile. Then they take a different track and you continue on yours. When I was younger, I used to talk about life being a pilgrimage, meaning that it's a journey but to a meaningful destination. The things you encounter on the way are what your life is comprised of. Interesting to be struck by that again today, to have this friend suddenly on my pilgrimage for however long she's gonna be here. But also to think of how much I was struggling recently with all the things that went awry in my life, trying to prevent them. When in actuality, the trip including the chaos aspects when they arise, is actually what life is.

Not to wax too philosophical about it all. It was just a bike ride after all...