February 25, 2009

• Johnstown Jaunt with Gale's Crew

  So,  I reluctantly decide to do Gale's ride this Sunday,   I've only got 88 road miles in for the year but I figure it should be mellow enough if all goes well.   I think I have told myself that before, along with "Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight" ...

  I had decided to ride over to Gale's.  One reason is that I don't like driving any place I can ride, and I want a decent warm-up.   I guess I could tell by the time I got to Timberline and stood up on the pedals to cross the intersection that my legs were pretty tired, cause I could feel that lactic acid burn already.  OK,  my legs might come good by the time I got to Gales so I just plodded on.

  There was a good solid crew which included,  Peter, Gale, Jeff, Kent, Ron, Kevin, Scott, Ryan, Paul and Bill.  I think that is most of them.   It was nice for Peter to hand out Water Bottles  from VeloOne before the ride.   Peter stuck one in my empty cage and in theory it should help my bike become more Aero.

  Now, we take off on a route that I am not that familiar with,  but it was  too be rolling which should be OK for me as long as folks kept a steady civil tempo.   Well wouldn't ya know that every time we got to a grade, someone would punch up the effort and it was all I could do to maintain contact!   At one point in the ride as we neared Johnston, someone drilled it up front and splintered the group.   I had to go up front and ask,  "Who the F%# anp'd up the pace!".     Normally, wouldn't do this but this is IMHO early season and not good group etiquette, to accelerate that hard.   I should know by now that there isn't a Patron on these rides and folks are left on their own to do as they please when they are up front.....   I am still used to the early team training rides that I did back east and this sort of behavior wouldn't have been tolerated, especially this early in the season.    It's like the "Old Ways" of  discipline have been cast aside, but on these rides, everyone has their own agenda/plan/schedule and  I just need to remember that...

  So,  I can't hold this pace and drop off.    I figure I could keep them in site for a while and turn back after I have had enough.  Thankfully,  Kent, who was riding strong and Jeff came back to get me, which was nice , but if I recall correctly, it was their efforts that sent me packing.....   

  So, Yeah, I am whining  ...

  We get to the turn around point and we get some food etc.  This is my chance to refuel and  prepare for the return.    The pace was  pretty easy on the way out,  it was only those surges that  I couldn't deal with.

  Now we mount up and head out.   I am feeling better with fuel in me, but apparently everyone else was too.  Before long we were Hammering in a paceline and my HR was soaring.   I knew that my legs couldn't take too much of that but I hoped that they would ease up after a bit, but this didn't happen.    I fell off the back. again.

  I was content to find my way home, but  Kent and Ron were kind enough to come get me and pace me back to the fold.   This happened a few more times!   It was clear that I was the "Weakest Link" and that's  not a good feeling.  I guess everyone has a bad day.   It wouldn't have been so bad if I had good legs, but I suspect that the ride would have escalated into a hammer fest much sooner if I was stronger and  real suffering would have ensued....

  Gratefully as we got closer to home,  Kent volunteered to  take the shortcut home with me and my suffering would be over!    We kept a more civil pace, but I could tell Kent would have gone much faster if I could have kept up.  We ride past Kent's place and he bails, leaving me to enjoy my own relaxed pace

  Looks like I got in 75+ miles on the day.  Sorry no pictures...So, what did I learn.  

  1. Don't go on Gale's ride when you are tired.
  2. Assume Gales ride will always be fast.
  3. Bring the fastest bike you own.   
  4. Ditch the heavy Camelbak and tools and bring little more than you would bring to a race.
  5. Don't do a long fast group ride until you ready!
  6. Don't believe anyone who says, "I am not going to hammer"
  7. Sucks when your not strong enough to keep pace

  • 12:39 am
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