I went down to HP today for the noon ride not expecting many people to be down there because of the wind and the temperature. I got there about the same time as Jose Nunez and rode a couple laps with him just easily spinning along. After making it back around starting our 3rd lap we were caught by what I would guess was the main field, including Chuck and the DC Velo kid Nick, back from Belgium or somewhere.
They were moving along pretty good so I jumped on the back of their group. I will admit that my legs were hurting pretty bad, one from a new exercise for the hamstrings I tried this week and two, because I had to run a 1.5 mile timed run in a fitness test for work and I thought I was Usain Bolt so I went waay too hard. But, I was just so happy to be back outside riding that I tried not to think about my legs too much.
Anyway, after reading Chuck's how not to attack like a wussy post, I was a little worried about what would happen on the Arlington/headwind side of the HP loop. A couple times he took off then slowed down and looked back smiling waiting for us to catch up, then did it over again a couple more times. Very interesting (read demoralizing). I'm not sure what he was trying to accomplish but I don't think I was in any position to question Chuck, just try to keep up.
At the end of the day I was glad I came down to HP and didn't let my legs tell me what to do. I was also glad Jose showed up when I was two seconds from leaving before even starting. He told me as I got out of the car, "Don't think about it, just do it." I have to remember this the next time I have to train and really don't want to. I can't think about how windy it is or the temperature or if anyone else will be there, I just gotta go out there and do it. But I do realize I really need to find a good pair of gloves. I hate it when my fingertips hurt more than my legs at the end of a ride.
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Did Jose hold on to the back of the group? My guess is that vacation he took put a little more power around the midsection. ;)
ReplyDeleteman I cant get myself to go over to the district and do the ride if it is less than thirty..I dont know. Am I losing my edge. Am I still in bed ? ( today it was the latter) but I am going to do the cross race regardless of the cold and my vague sense of foreboding. Yes , that is invaluable advice..do not think too much beyond needed items ..skewer adjusted right ..gloves the right temp. tolerance...salt in the water bottle. ( dont allow thoughts of black ice or why in january or /#%:..
ReplyDeleteJesse- Yeah Jose held on for a while then disappeared, but he gets a pass. If I know Jose his fitness will be where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
ReplyDeleteChris- "Dont think, just do it!"
I love having rollers. Yep riding inside on the rollers. I can not believe I rode 20 hours a week in this kind of weather last year. eff that.
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