firerescuefin
09-28-2010, 07:05 PM
I was actually writing this in my mind as I was riding home today. First off, we are having an unreal indian (native american for my PC friends) summer in Colorado. The last week has been the best weather we have had consecutively all year.
After a bad back injury and having to take 3 years off the bike (2 back surgeries), this is the first summer I have been able to turn the pedals over in anger. I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old, but the path system lets me get out with them quite often, and they are great training partners, especially in the wind or when things go up hill. I used to race Cat 2/3 and have always taken pride in my fitness. I am usually one of the stronger guys on group rides and when I am fit, I love to mix it up. The last couple of weeks I mentioned to a friend/former teammate of mine that my legs have really started to come around even though I need to drop about 15 pounds to reach my optimum cycling weight.....there's the context.
I got up this morning and went to the gym. Then got home and went out on the bike for my normal training ride...about 22 miles, rollers, couple good sustained climbs. Perfect if you all you got is 50 minutes to an hour to hammer. About .5 mile in a guy comes up on my left and asks where I am going. We are both headed about the same direction and agree to give it a go. He is on a steel Bianchi with a 105 triple and open pros...probably 6 2" 160 pounds (I asked later in the ride)..tats all over his arms...late 20's. Things are going well, learn he is the manager of a LBS and that he is riding home.
Things start to go up hill... I drop a cog..then two...he does not. My cadence is low to mid 90's his had to be mid 70s.... and effortless....Uh Oh! :no:
I do my best "sprinter who has the yellow jersey that does not want to lose it on the first climbing stage" and basically turn myself inside out not to get dropped...while trying to act like the effort is not that big of a deal. :cool:
We get up and over, head downhill, I know a bigger climb is coming. The damn stop light refuses to change red (no joke, it stayed green longer than I have ever seen it) and it's at the base of the climb and we basically sprint to make it. I look down and my hr is 165 at the start of the climb. I told him, "If this is a training ride for you, you're not going to hurt my feelings taking off"...so he rode away. I did my best "classics rider riding at his limit up the climb without blowing up" and lost about 150 yards over 2.5 miles. At this point, I am kind of hoping he just keeps riding, because once he is out of sight, I am going to drop it down a notch......He waits at the top...@sshole :crap:
Anyhow we hit some rollers, then another sustained climb. I started riding a little better, and I think he was showing some mercy...probably because he didn't want to lose my business ;)
I find out he was a Cross National Champion in College and races quite a bit in and around Colorado "when he has the time" :confused:
Mike (the guy) was a classy dude and a lot of fun to ride with. Your never going to get better/faster riding with weaker riders. I have/and will frequent his shop (more so now), and we agreed to ride again. I am due to get my hip scoped in a couple of weeks, but should not have to be off the bike too long. This will serve to fuel the fire with regard to base training and diet in the off season. I really needed that asskicking....for real :beer:....and as my boxing homeboy Mike Tyson says.......(see below)
After a bad back injury and having to take 3 years off the bike (2 back surgeries), this is the first summer I have been able to turn the pedals over in anger. I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old, but the path system lets me get out with them quite often, and they are great training partners, especially in the wind or when things go up hill. I used to race Cat 2/3 and have always taken pride in my fitness. I am usually one of the stronger guys on group rides and when I am fit, I love to mix it up. The last couple of weeks I mentioned to a friend/former teammate of mine that my legs have really started to come around even though I need to drop about 15 pounds to reach my optimum cycling weight.....there's the context.
I got up this morning and went to the gym. Then got home and went out on the bike for my normal training ride...about 22 miles, rollers, couple good sustained climbs. Perfect if you all you got is 50 minutes to an hour to hammer. About .5 mile in a guy comes up on my left and asks where I am going. We are both headed about the same direction and agree to give it a go. He is on a steel Bianchi with a 105 triple and open pros...probably 6 2" 160 pounds (I asked later in the ride)..tats all over his arms...late 20's. Things are going well, learn he is the manager of a LBS and that he is riding home.
Things start to go up hill... I drop a cog..then two...he does not. My cadence is low to mid 90's his had to be mid 70s.... and effortless....Uh Oh! :no:
I do my best "sprinter who has the yellow jersey that does not want to lose it on the first climbing stage" and basically turn myself inside out not to get dropped...while trying to act like the effort is not that big of a deal. :cool:
We get up and over, head downhill, I know a bigger climb is coming. The damn stop light refuses to change red (no joke, it stayed green longer than I have ever seen it) and it's at the base of the climb and we basically sprint to make it. I look down and my hr is 165 at the start of the climb. I told him, "If this is a training ride for you, you're not going to hurt my feelings taking off"...so he rode away. I did my best "classics rider riding at his limit up the climb without blowing up" and lost about 150 yards over 2.5 miles. At this point, I am kind of hoping he just keeps riding, because once he is out of sight, I am going to drop it down a notch......He waits at the top...@sshole :crap:
Anyhow we hit some rollers, then another sustained climb. I started riding a little better, and I think he was showing some mercy...probably because he didn't want to lose my business ;)
I find out he was a Cross National Champion in College and races quite a bit in and around Colorado "when he has the time" :confused:
Mike (the guy) was a classy dude and a lot of fun to ride with. Your never going to get better/faster riding with weaker riders. I have/and will frequent his shop (more so now), and we agreed to ride again. I am due to get my hip scoped in a couple of weeks, but should not have to be off the bike too long. This will serve to fuel the fire with regard to base training and diet in the off season. I really needed that asskicking....for real :beer:....and as my boxing homeboy Mike Tyson says.......(see below)