This Next Ride is Still Questionable

I can’t believe the anxiety I’m having over my next ride.  In fact, I’m still not 100% convinced I’m going to do it.  Some of that showed on this morning’s ride.

I was hesitant about getting out for the 5:45 ride this morning.  The only thing that got me out of bed was a decision to spin easy and ride my own recovery ride.  Yesterday’s heat took its toll on me.  I made sure I kept the speed down and my heart rate below 120 as I rode to the Rusty Bridge.  I announced to the gathering group that I was simply spinning easy this morning.  I took the trail rather than any of the hills in the first half of the ride.  Bryan was content to ride with me and it was a great opportunity to listen to his story of a spectacularly ridden 400k last Saturday.  He rode it in under 18 hours.  At the end of the trail, we met up with part of the group and took it easy back, although I must admit I picked up the pace above the easy spinning I had planned.  I cut the ride short because of another early meeting.

My legs were stiff.  I had a little lingering pain.  I kept telling people that if everything works out right I’ll be riding the fixie 115-120 miles across the Eastern Shore tomorrow.  The emphasis has been on the “if everything works out right” part.  I’m still not sure.  My concerns?

1. The forecast is for hot.
2. It is the fixie and the longest distance attempted on it.
3. It will be a solo ride.
4. The forecast is for hot.
5. There is also a good chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
6. Long stretches of the hot ride are without shade.
7. Friends of mine have dehydrated enough on hot rides to end up in the hospital.
8. Did I say that the forecast is for hot?
9. If I have to bail, I’ll be lucky to find a rescue ride within hours.

You see … I’ve got some anxiety about this.  The decision will be made tonight.  If I decide to go, I need to decide and not fret over it all night.  I’ll prepare as if I am going.  That will mean a drop bag for the hotel taken by a friend.  Install another water bottle holder on the fixie.  Make sure  the Camelback is fresh and clean.  Decide on a hydration and food plan in advance.  Make sure all components are good.  Make the final decisions on the gearing to be used.  Take enough of the right emergency supplies for a solo unsupported ride.  Establish my baseline limits (which tell me whether I’m pushing too hard).  Review the course once again.  Sleep.

If I go, I’ll push off as early as it is light.  I’ll want to get as many miles in as I can before the heat or storms set in.

This morning’s ride numbers:

This Ride: 18.8 miles
Month: 762 miles
2012: 2359.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,213.5 miles

Memorial Day Ride to Sweet Sue’s

It is a tradition around these here parts and around the Severna Park Peloton to travel to Sweet Sue’s Bakery in North Beach the holidays of summer (unless we go somewhere else).  There are two different starting points.  Start one begins in Shipley’s neighborhood and leaves at 6:30 am.  Start two begins at 7:30 am at the Davidsonville Park & Ride Lot, about 15 miles from Shipley’s.  Get it?  If you start early, your ride is 30 miles longer than if you start at the Park & Ride.  Eleven of us started at Shipley’s and had a good and relatively easy ride to Davidsonville.  Temperatures were pleasant, and there were partly cloudy skies to keep the strength of the sun down.

When we arrived at the Park & Ride, we were pleased to see that our numbers would more than double.  We pushed off in great spirits and it was as fun as ever to be riding in a group of nearly 30 riders.  We made short work of the 30 miles to Sweet Sue’s.  Clint called about 30 minutes out to warn them of our approach.  They were ready for us.  A breakfast sandwich and two strawberry smoothies were what I ordered.  I drink half of one of the smoothies to cool down and suck down the carbs.  The rest I use to fill an insulated water bottle for the next hour or so of riding.  It stays pretty cold.  We encountered quite a number of other riders either solo or in groups descending on Sweet Sue’s.  SPP was by far the larger group.

As we pushed off for home, the temperatures were climbing and the clouds had disappeared.  There were at least two distinct groups that formed, a fast group and a faster group.  I started in the faster group and we pushed the miles behind us pretty quickly.  After about an hour, the heat was getting to me and I could tell that I was dehydrating despite my best efforts to remain hydrated.  I just didn’t drink enough water on the way to Sweet Sue’s and it caught up to me.  My heart rate spiked to around 160-165 and it was tough to bring it down unless I traveled at around 14 mph.  I’m glad I knew the route.  I knew that the Citgo in Harwood was close, and I informed my two companions that now formed the small group between the fast and the fastest groups that I was stopping.  I used the toilet (good sign) and bought a bottle of water.  I re-filled my now empty bottles on the bike and poured about a liter of ice cold water on my head in a steady stream for about 20 seconds.  That felt absolutely wonderful!  It also did the trick.  I was able to pick up the pace, and it was a good thing too, because the fast group passed by as I was dumping water on my head and I was able to lead the group of three of us and catch this group.  Over the next several miles, individual riders within this group suddenly discovered our presence and wondered where we had come from.  Last they knew they were behind us and they knew they hadn’t passed us.

Temperatures continued to climb.  It was all I could do to keep dehydration at bay and nutrition up enough to keep a decent pace.  I lagged a couple of times, made the right adjustment, and recovered.  It is here where experience pays off and I don’t get into a  full bonk that takes 20-30 minutes or more to recover.  I’m able to recover on the bike.

Soon we were saying goodbye to those who were finishing the shorter ride (63 miles) and now 9 of us were pushing off for home.  Why is it that those last 15 miles seem to be twice that long?  Alex M flatted just before Veteran’s Highway.  Mike C, Ravi, and Clint stayed back to assist, while 4 others pressed on.  When I got to the B&A Trail for the last 1.5 miles home, I was surprised at how full it was with runners and bikers (most of whom were not wearing helmets … just saying!).

Once home, the cool down took close to an hour before I felt like I was done sweating.  I consumed a glass of chocolate milk, several glasses of water, had two fans on me, and used a zip lock bag full of ice water on my head and neck.  Ahh, that felt good.

Bag O ice water on the head. That’ll cool me down!

I did take some video of parts of the ride.  You can see the video here.

This Ride: 90.5 miles
Month: 743.3 miles
2012: 2341.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,194.7 miles

 

Losing a Tooth Makes a Difference

Well, Mike was right.  It is “option c”, wear you out and strengthen your legs.

Regular readers will know that I changed cogs on the fixie last night, going from a 46/17 to a 46/16 gearing.  It is only one less tooth.  After a nearly 55 mile ride this morning, I’m toasted.  I’m seriously rethinking my strategy for the trip across the Eastern Shore on Wednesday.

It started out great this morning.  It was 70° F at the start of our ride, with 11 riders out.  I was the only one on a fixie.  We set an easy pace, and soon 10 of us were on our way to Annapolis for breakfast.  The food and company was good.  Myna supplied us with a nice desert.  We were on our way back to Severna Park by 7:00.  Fran was looking for a longer ride, so we rode together around the airport loop.  Before we crossed Aquahart Road, I was sweating profusely.  My headband was completely soaked and sweat was running into my eyes.  I had one 20 oz water bottle I was nursing for the whole distance.  (Note to self: get another water bottle cage for the fixie.)  Fran was anxious to show me another way back from the airport, and so I was riding on unfamiliar roads with rolling hills.  I hadn’t counted on rolling hills.  Here is a deadly combination  for me: Unfamiliar roads, rolling hills, high humidity (83%).  I started to get a little grumbly but kept it to myself.  After all, we are getting into summer weather here.  This is what we can expect for a few months.  Temps remained flat because of cloud cover.  Wind was light.  Those were two good things.

Once I got home, I was glad to be done.  There were quite a few times when the cadence was low, making it harder to press on.  Average cadence was only 2 rpm slower today for an average speed 0.4 mph faster.

Oh, I almost forgot!  Now that I have the smaller cog, I can go faster downhill.  I hit 36.1 mph (168 rpm) on the descent to the Naval Academy Bridge this morning.  That’s in less than ideal conditions (wind, humidity, fatigue).  I think there is still a little upside left here.

This Ride: 54.8 miles
Month: 652.8 miles
2012: 2250.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,104.2 miles

A Little Fixie Adjustment

Today I picked up my new 16 tooth cog I ordered at Bike Doctor on Monday.  They ordered me a Surley brand, which is great.  They make “bulletproof” components.  I installed it with only minor problems.  My chain whip isn’t well suited for the width of the cog, so I took it into Bike Doctor and had Jessie pull the old one off.  I’ll let you know how it rides tomorrow.

According to what I read, this new cog, one tooth less than the one I’ve been riding, should give me 1.2 mph more at 90 rpm.  I’ll be interested to see if I notice the difference on the climbs we typically ride and whether or not I can break my fixie speed record heading onto the Naval Academy Bridge.

I purchased the new cog because I’m anticipating a 115 mile ride across the Eastern Shore on Wednesday of next week.  In that distance, the same number of pedal strokes with the new cog will save me about half an hour.  It will also serve to strengthen my legs … or wear me out.  We’ll see which.

Slowing Down to Enjoy the Day

When I arrived at the Rusty Bridge this morning, I announced to the group that I was doing the 5:47 ride.  The 5:45 ride on Thursdays is fast.  The 5:46 ride is for those who don’t want to press it hard.  No one has claimed a 5:47 ride before so I declared it as a relatively easy spin.  I immediately had one rider declare his intent to join me, and within a few miles, we had a nice group of four, and later five.  It was a nice morning to relax a bit.

We had fog and it was a very balmy 67° F.  Glasses fogged easily and frequently.  The fog shut down a lot of extra noise.  We maintained a conversational pace and talked mostly about upcoming rides.  The DC Randonneurs are hosting a 400k ride beginning Saturday and we have several people riding what may prove to be a very warm 4ook.  Mike C is planning a 200 k on Saturday.  Sweet Sue’s Memorial Day Ride is Monday (either 65 or 100 miles).  I’m planning a solo fixie ride across the Eastern Shore on Wednesday (about 115 miles).

I really enjoy the variety of rides we do at 5:45.  The fast rides press me into increasing my fitness.  The more leisurely rides are a huge social outlet for me.  I had an early morning meeting and I know I grinned pretty smugly when others were dragging themselves into the meeting grumbling about how early it was.  I had already been up for 3 hours, been on the bike nearly one and a quarter hours in conversation with friends, helped my spouse with some computer issues, showered and was alert and ready for the meeting.  Not a bad way to start the day.

I noticed this morning that although our pace seemed pretty easy, I still averaged over 17 mph for the ride.  My average heart rate was 124.  My speed continues to come up and my heart rate at these speeds continues to drop.  I’m always encouraged by that.

So … short answer to the unasked question.  Yes, it was a good morning ride.

This Ride: 20.2 miles
Month: 598 miles
2012: 2195.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,049.4 miles

Just Another Day in the Saddle

Although some weather forecasts called for possible rain this morning, it was dry, clear, and beautiful.  Some SPP riders had an email dialog going “talking smack” so as the group pushed off from the Rusty Bridge there was some anticipation of a quick pace.  It was actually quite fun watching from the back of the peloton for the breakaway.  I never saw it happen.  No, really.  I watched for a break away and as long as I had eyes on the peloton, no one ever broke away.

Three of us remained on Old County Road rather than taking the loop through Round Bay.  Mike C and I were once again determined to reach the turn around point before the others caught us.  We made it with plenty of time remaining.  As we turned north again, the pace was fast, but not unreasonable until I sucked a large bug into my windpipe.

I saw the bug just at the last moment and felt it as it bounced first off the back of my throat and down just as I inhaled.  I could feel it lodged deeply.  Now, it is hard to go fast and hack up a bug.  So I slowed, coughed long and hard, and eventually dislodged it.  Now I was 50 yards back and it took a supreme effort to reattach to the peloton.  Just as I did, Mike called out that he had a flat.  The main group didn’t hear the announcement, so I slowed, came back and helped Mike attend to the flat.  After the repair Mike, Jim, and I backed off the pace and had a more leisurely finish to the ride.

This Ride: 22.5 miles
Month: 577.8 miles
2012: 2175.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,029.3 miles

Too Fast to Smell the Roses

Each day of the SPP 5:45 rides have a theme.  There is:

• Mosey Monday,
• Terrible Tuesday,
• Wicked Wednesday,
• Torture Thursday, &
• Friendly Fixie Friday.

When conditions are right and mostly safe, these are the rides that are expected.  On any given day, a rider or riders may choose to ride a 5:46 ride, which takes the rider out of the expectation of those speedy three days in the middle of the week.  Today, everyone opted for Terrible Tuesday, and still there were two groups.

The rain moved out overnight, leaving the pavement damp in places and a few small places of standing water.  I had a pretty quick pace getting to the Rusty Bridge.  I’ve determined that how quickly I ride that first 4-5 miles plays a large role in my overall speed for the morning.  Not only does a faster ride give me a higher average speed going into the ride, I think it helps set a “muscle memory” speed in my legs and brain (yes, I know that my brain isn’t a muscle) so that a faster speed later in the ride doesn’t feel so fast.  It’s only a theory and it works for me, so I’m using it.

There was an occasional light mist in the air.  It was like a clear fog at times.  I also took turns conservatively, especially where road paint was involved.  We were pretty fast right out of the gate, but it wasn’t a full out sprint.  The difference can be seen on Jennings Road.  A full out sprint might see us hitting speeds of close to 30 mph whereas the fast day might only be about 22-24.  I hung with the big boys onto Old County Road, then decided to attempt my personal record speed on Old County.  That means that I didn’t tackle the hill in Round Bay this morning.  Brian and Mike C joined me in the shortcut.

I was surprised as I crested the first major hill that Brian and Mike were behind me.  I watched my heart rate, and kept it above 168, which means that I was pushing hard.  I stayed in as large a gear as I dared, forcing my legs to move toward that sweet spot of 90-94 rpm.  I saw a pulse of 172 at one point, but kept pushing.  Mid way though, Mike caught me and suggested that we had some work to do if we were going to beat the others to the end of the trail.  I suggested we work together.  By the time we got to the trail, I had suggested trying to maintain around 22 mph as Mike in the lead dropped to 20.  We switched leads occasionally, Mike doing most of the work in front.

I decided to have a little fun as we reached the end of the trail.  I parked the bike quickly, sat on the picnic bench, and cheered on the riders as they came rolling in.  The scowls were precious.  The pace back north was still quicker than I wanted to ride, so I was off the back for a little while.  Mike and I waited for Alex at Glen Oban, then pushed it home from there.  I pushed hard trying to set a personal record on the last little hill on B&A Blvd.  As it turns out, I missed the personal record by two seconds.  By the time I crossed McKinsey Rd I looked down and was amazed that my average speed on the morning to that point was 19.2 mph!

I knew that would drop some speed on the rest of the ride home, but I still kept pressing on.  I kept the pace high as I climbed the last leg up Highway 2, resulting in my second fastest time on this segment also!

This was a fast morning for me.  Using my cycling log and Strava.com for the record keeping revealed that this ride was:

1. My fastest time along the whole length of Old County Road, placing me in 8th place overall.
2. My  second fastest time up Highway 2 toward home.
3. My second fastest time up what I call “Little Sprint Hill” on B&A Blvd.
4. My fastest average time this year on the 5:45 ride.
5. I looked back to 2011 and to my surprise I’ve had only 3 rides faster than this.  Two were long rides with tailwinds across the Eastern Shore.  One was an amazing 20.5 mph 5:45 ride in September.  I didn’t expect that!

And still, the others are much faster than I am.

This feels pretty good.  I’m liking the improvement.

This Ride: 22.4 miles
Month: 555.4 miles
2012: 2153.2 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,006.8 miles