View Full Version : 'Splain this
OK, club ride today. Pace started off blistering, as soon as we left town. For the first few miles, my HR was absolutely pegged and I was just barely hanging onto the group. And this was flat to downhill with no climbing, so I figure I'm in real trouble and this will quickly become a solo ride. But a few miles in I'm warmed up (to say the least), the HR came down just enough to maintain it and the group is still going like stink. But now I'm riding on the front a lot and close to it the rest of the time, except on the really steep climbs, where I managed to stay in about the middle of the splintered group. I never really felt great, but I always seemed to have a bit more speed when I needed it or even just wanted it. HR stayed high, legs felt pretty ragged, but I always had enough and even more than enough. After the last regroup, about 10 miles from the end of the ride, I was second in line and the guy in front of me put his head down and started hammering. I was able to hold his wheel and we rode away from everyone else, trading pulls and just kicking it the rest of the way back. We dropped the rest of the group well and thoroughly. A couple of others tried to hook on, but were unable to.
When the ride was over, I looked at the computer. My average speed was literally 2mph faster than I've EVER averaged over similar distance and similar terrain (45 miles, fairly hilly, but not brutally so). My average HR was 6-8 bpm higher than I've ever seen. I was kind of shocked - I've felt sort of like this on group rides before, but was never astounded by the stats at the end of the ride. I'm not going to bore you with the numbers, because I'm a real piker compared to a lot of you on this board and the numbers won't impress anyone but me, but that's not the point. The point was where did this sudden change in "performance" (which is a pretty low priority in my riding, but I sort of look at it just out of curiosity) come from? I don't think anyone slipped me any EPO. I've done a lot of miles this year, but I've done a lot of miles other years too. I always feel good this time of year, but this isn't new either.
*** happened?
-Ray
Oh yeah, the woman leading the ride was incredibly nice looking and, uhhh, shapely. One theory is that I'd have made any sacrifice to stay on that rear..........wheel. But this isn't a first either, so I don't think that explains it. Plus, I was actually well ahead of her most of the ride because she was hanging at the back to make sure everyone was making it OK. If this was my motivation, I'd have had to have feigned real suffering to get her OTB with me alone :) I am both a married and honorable man, so I would do no such thing - just consider it.
Smiley
11-05-2005, 03:59 PM
a little too much male hormones is what is sounds like to me . You said the ride leader was a BABE did you not . Then thats it for sure :)
a little too much male hormones is what is sounds like to me . You said the ride leader was a BABE did you not . Then thats it for sure :)
Yeah, yeah. :no: But I've ridden with her before with no such results. And I was actually sabotaging any chance to hang out with her because I was going too stinking fast. I don't think that's it, but I like the thought.
-Ray
Sandy
11-05-2005, 04:41 PM
You were the only one riding a Serotta? :)
Sandy
Sandy
11-05-2005, 04:47 PM
Perhaps they went too hard in the beginning and paid for it later on. Perhaps you pushed yourself harder than normal to keep up with the fast pace ( heart rate suggests that). With all the miles that you have been doing, maybe your fitness and endurance were better than most. Perhaps over the season, you improved as a cyslist. Possibly some mix of all those factors.
Perhaps you were so spent at the end of the ride, you couldn't read the avg speed on your computer correctly. :) :)
One thing that I know for sure. I wasn't riding with you and that group.
Sandy
sometimes the bike doesn't have a chain.
jerk
Sandy
11-05-2005, 04:51 PM
Same with dogs.
Sandy
Len J
11-05-2005, 05:10 PM
the moist unerrated portion of riding hard.
There is a point (or points) in every hard ride where we have the choice between hanging on and bainling......you know that split second before which you are redlined and after which.....you are either still hanging on or you are spit out the back. The truth is, that in most cases if you can just push through the pain fro that decision, you can hang on....longer than you think you can.......and if you get into the habit of pushing through these moments of truth, you end up with a pretty epic performance.
My bet is that you just momentarily "fresher"and stronger on this ride....congratulations.
Len
loctite
11-05-2005, 05:24 PM
FORM, keep up the good work
Lifelover
11-05-2005, 05:28 PM
I don't remember the exact term but in the newest Lance book there was a section about how often times cyclist will reach a "new Level" in a burst. One day you are you old self and than the next day you are stronger. It will be interesting to see if you remain at this new level or if it was a one time thing.
Fixed
11-05-2005, 05:38 PM
bro I' ve noticed a lot of guys ride better when the temp go down .cheers :beer:
You were the only one riding a Serotta? :)
Sorry - Spectrum.
The only guy on a Serotta didn't do too well today. But he's usually a strong rider, so he was just having a bad day while I was having a crazy good one.
No chain - that musta been it. I did lube it recently :cool:
In terms of whether this is some new level for me, time will tell. I've never ridden for numbers in the past and I don't plan to start now, but I keep an eye on them so I guess I'll find out if this was a one time event or the start of something.
-Ray
Sandy
11-05-2005, 05:42 PM
Oops!
Spectrum Sandy
JasonF
11-05-2005, 05:45 PM
the moist unerrated portion of riding hard.
The truth is, that in most cases if you can just push through the pain fro that decision, you can hang on....longer than you think you can.......and if you get into the habit of pushing through these moments of truth, you end up with a pretty epic performance.
Len
I agree with Len, your mental determination probably gave you the edge. Sounds like a great ride.
george
11-05-2005, 06:45 PM
Have you had your urine checked for EPO :D
Have you had your urine checked for EPO :DSame ol' ***** - "A" sample positive, "B" could not be tested. I guess I'll have to live with this cloud of suspicion over my head the rest of my life :cool:
-Ray
manet
11-05-2005, 07:07 PM
'"tut, tut, it looks like rain!"
BumbleBeeDave
11-05-2005, 10:37 PM
. . . Was your chimeric twin also on today’s ride? . . .
BBDave
inthegutter
11-05-2005, 10:46 PM
Sounds like a fun ride and may be the temp like Fixed said. I know I can dig a little deeper when I am not stifiled with heat and sweat.
Unfortunatly, my coach would take me out back and cane me if I rode like that in November. :bike:
. . . Was your chimeric twin also on today’s ride? . . .
Yeah, he was the smart one, hanging in the back spending time with the fine ride leader :)
Sounds like a fun ride and may be the temp like Fixed said. I know I can dig a little deeper when I am not stifiled with heat and sweat.
Unfortunatly, my coach would take me out back and cane me if I rode like that in November. It wasn't particularly cool today and I've had lots of rides in these temps that were nothing like this one. Surely conditions were great, but I don't think that explains it or it would have happened before. Since I don't train for anything in particular and don't race, no coach to take me out back. I always have some of my best rides in Sept and Oct, but rarely into November. And never quite this good.
Just weird, but very pleasantly so.
OTOH, I wasn't feeling all that great while riding and I didn't have any more fun than usual during the ride, so I can't say I yearn for more of this. I was just sort of blown away by the numbers AFTER the ride. We'll see if its a new level or a one-time shot - thanks for all of your thoughts.
-Ray
ergott
11-06-2005, 08:33 AM
Have you had your urine checked for EPO :D
According to some pros, (the ones that get caught) there are some evil doctors sneaking EPO into people’s syringes without their consent!
THIS is what I ride for. Yesterday was fun, but I was digging deep all day and the surprising thing was my ability to go even deeper when the need arose. And the numbers I was shocked to see at the end of the day. I suppose that those of you who race live for days like that. I was definitely aware that the bicycle had a drivetrain though!
But today I went out for an easy 37 miler to look at the foliage and I never felt like I was working. My pace was nothing like yesterday, but it would ordinarily qualify as a good day for me. So nothing amazing there, but the ease it came with was the surprising thing. I was always in the right gear and at the right cadence. My HR was almost always between 120-140, with only occasional visits up the the 150 area on some of the tougher hills. For a tourist-ish rider like me, these days are the primary payoff for whatever conditioning I gain over the course of the season. Not very much faster than normal, but just that sensation of total effortlessness. Jeez - how cool is THAT!
-Ray "just one of many definitions of what makes a ride great" Sachs
Fixed
11-06-2005, 05:10 PM
bro nothing like free speed ( down hills, wind at your back, great days when feel strong as an ox )enjoy it you deserve it dude I hope you have many more .cheers :beer:
mflaherty37
11-06-2005, 05:21 PM
A guy I ride with told me years ago there was a theory racers had about fasting for 24 hours before you race. Some pro of days gone had tried it and won the stage. For a while some recers believed. The moral of the story is that if you are going to have a good day - you are going to have a good day. :rolleyes:
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