May 12, 2009, 8:50 pm
The weekend’s rides were hard and I really felt them on Monday as I tried to climb or descend stairs! Fortunately Monday night was my appointment with JH, aka Magic Hands, my dear friend and massage therapist. And good to her nom de guerre her efforts last night made a huge difference to my legs today. Not only were they supple, but surprisingly energised and, rather than the gentle 20km I had planned, I covered 40km at a respectable 26km/hour. A couple of rides like that during the week and I should be able to bump my weekends up toward the 80-100km mark soon.
May 10, 2009, 1:10 pm
Rather than join the Sunday ride at 8.30am I decided to watch the Spanish Grand Prix and then ride the usual Sunday route later in the day. The Grand Prix was great and the ride better! There is much more climbing on the route than one notices in a large group and the head wind along large stretches of it is really tough when you have no one to share it with. At the outset, my legs felt very heavy from yesterday’s ride, and perhaps the delicious meal and wine with friends last night, but as I warmed I was able to shake of the leaden feeling. I was most pleased that the two climbs late in the ride felt comfortable and my overall pace was 25km/h – if I can keep that pace on my own, I should manage the race in something around 6 hours.
For anyone interested here is the route – I did a little more analysis of the data from my GPS unit and the route has a vertical gain of 2,547ft: I feel even happier with the ride now!
May 9, 2009, 9:19 am
Good ride with CZ – a flat tire slowed us down a bit but otherwise a solid distance in the heat and the promised rain never arrived 
May 7, 2009, 7:59 pm
It has rained for a week and so I have not been on the bike, and then I started thinking:
- for about six months of each year I lived in the UK it rained and I rode nonetheless
- there is no guarantee it will not rain on race day
- knowing how to ride in the rain is a useful part of the cyclist’s armory
- contrary to popular belief, I am not made of sugar and shall not melt
And so I donned my cycling gear and headed out in the rain. The first few corners are always interesting but after a while I find the rhythm and sizzle of the rain is entrancing and the riding very enjoyable. I realised as I meandered along Beach Drive that it was Thursday night, a week since my last ride, and the night of the gooner: a blistering sprint from the top of Beach down through Rock Creek park. As I reached the turn I saw the group gathering – a little rain is not going to deter these chain gangsters – so once again I found myself succumbing to the urge to follow and once ‘on’ the fear of getting dropped. I held on for a few km though staying on the wheel is harder in the rain as the spray from the aforementioned wheel reduces visibility to, well, almost no visibility at all.
While an intense ride it has not been an auspicious beginning to May’s training and I have my work cut out for me to cover my planned mileage with a week gone already. Nothing like a challenge!