Sunday Post Ride

Ok, this is is the kit I never wore during the 2009 MTB XC Race season. Isn't it pretty? Windtech vest-quite comfortable and so well designed: I can pull a phone out of my back pocket without breaking cadence. Remarkable. Bib-shorts with a meshed pocket...for race radios. As if I'd ever really need it, it does hold an Ipod quite nicely although rather difficult to access while riding. Hopefully you've picked out the playlist you really like.

Today was in the low 30's, sunny with a slight breeze. Legs felt heavy, reluctant to work, hesitant to spin the gears. This was a casual ride, you know: get-back into the swing of things sort of ride. I was sick last week with cold or flu and just didn't ride, didn't train, didn't do a god-damned thing related for race training.

Today's little excursion confirmed all my expectations, 'Its gonna take a alot of work to get back into some sort of ridable shape.' I rode the road bike today: the Red Cannondale CAAD3 with complete Shimano 105 9speed and Spinergy Rev X wheels. The gears skip after a hard torque on the pedals, I suspect its the cogs. Someday I'll get around to replacing it.

I spun the 39 ring for most of the ride and road the Mini-Hammer Loop (Route 3 North to Route 165 South on to Arcadia Road). I've been doing this loop as for several years, during fitter years I'd occasional ride this loop as quickie work out. If I'm in shape I'd bang it out in under 42 minutes, its about a 13.5 miles. Today well...not surprisingly took almost 53 minutes.

I keep telling myself I did the loop as a casual ride, small ring only, no sprinting effort, just a ride, experiencing the cold, the brightness of the sun, the saltiness of the air from the drying rock salt from the road. I was just spinning, looking at my computer, shocked. Am I really climbing this slowly? 7.5 miles per hour? Really? Any other time I'm averaging 11-13 mph in the off season. Christ! Just one more thing to work on.

Secretly I was hoping for a little better effort. I had gone to the gym yesterday and was pleased with the weight routine. The gym's Leg Press machine is limited to a max of 450lbs (10-45lbs weights). I can leg press little more than double that amount. I did my usual 4set/25 reps and was really pleased. I had done a longer pyramid set a few days before and took 2 days to recover from that effort. So I was a little hopeful my times on the Mini Hammer would be better than expected. They weren't. However from past experience, I should see a boost in performance tomorrow as it will be 2 days after weights & 1 day after an 'easy' ride. We'll see. We'll see if I have time to get on a moving bike tomorrow, most likely it'll be a stationary bike, either the gym or the mag trainer.