Ok its not really a secret but Ive been kind of burnt out for a while. I still love riding I just havent been into "training." But for the last month Ive been pushing myself with TWO trainer classes a week plus mtb during the week and riding and practice races on the weekends. I've felt kind of stagnate for awhile like Im not progressing any (although I know for a fact my competition has been busting there asses getting better in an effort to beat me.)
So my club has a ride on Saturday mornings and I decide to do it at the 38 mile, 16 to 18 mph pace. I know I can do that pretty easily but still push myself during the ride with sprints and intervals and such. So two of my mtb teammates show up unexpectedly and they say theyll ride for as long as they can keep up, right liars. We start out in a really big group and the almost immediately catch up with the 18 to 20 mph group. My friends, both female btw whom I ride often off road with, get board because the pace is starting to lag because we are in such a big group. So boom they start to sprint from the BACK of the pack and I instantly jump in and we easily go off the front. A bunch of people follow. We start to settle into a nice pace of 20 to 21 mph and a double pace line. I quickly move to the front and start to pull. The guy next to me starts to talk saying hes a track guy trying to improve his fitness. It really shows, that hes a track rider because his stroke is really choppy and sporadic and his movements are twitchy and unpredictable. Almost immediately one of the pack elders pulls him aside and starts to politely give pointers on not killing the people you ride with, thats the last I saw him and thank dog for that. Anyhoo the spin classes I have been taking have been focusing on strength on day and speed the second. Each time somebody decided to make a break and it looked like a good one I instantly jumped in and PASSED them, eheheheh. Everybody ended up dropping back into the pack because they new they couldnt catch me. Half way I stopped and waited on my two friends, they were only behind by a bit, and most people stopped for water but we kept going. A break started and looked strong so my friend Gail and I jumped in and started spinning, 53/16 or so and about 25 mph. Wow I was thinking this is the fastest I have ever ridden consistently for this amount of time. After a while Gail and I decided to drop off to 20mph to wait on our other friend. I was thinking even though I dropped I totally could have kept up. After the ride I was talking to some of the people who were trying to make the breaks. They said that one by the rest stop we though we had it and then out of no where there you were. He said he was going to try to catch me but he took one stroke and knew I was gone. I didnt want to make him feel bad but they did eventually catch me but that was when I stopped to wait on my friends. Heheh. I got lots of complements afterwards. Especially on my pace and steadiness when pulling.
So this was the fastest ride I have ever done at this mileage. We finished 1:57:00 at 19.6 mph average. I know had I hung with that other group I could have averaged at least 21 maybe 22. So Im feeling a little rejuvenated and believe that the training is starting to pay off. Now I just need to see that transfer over to my mountain biking.
t
So my club has a ride on Saturday mornings and I decide to do it at the 38 mile, 16 to 18 mph pace. I know I can do that pretty easily but still push myself during the ride with sprints and intervals and such. So two of my mtb teammates show up unexpectedly and they say theyll ride for as long as they can keep up, right liars. We start out in a really big group and the almost immediately catch up with the 18 to 20 mph group. My friends, both female btw whom I ride often off road with, get board because the pace is starting to lag because we are in such a big group. So boom they start to sprint from the BACK of the pack and I instantly jump in and we easily go off the front. A bunch of people follow. We start to settle into a nice pace of 20 to 21 mph and a double pace line. I quickly move to the front and start to pull. The guy next to me starts to talk saying hes a track guy trying to improve his fitness. It really shows, that hes a track rider because his stroke is really choppy and sporadic and his movements are twitchy and unpredictable. Almost immediately one of the pack elders pulls him aside and starts to politely give pointers on not killing the people you ride with, thats the last I saw him and thank dog for that. Anyhoo the spin classes I have been taking have been focusing on strength on day and speed the second. Each time somebody decided to make a break and it looked like a good one I instantly jumped in and PASSED them, eheheheh. Everybody ended up dropping back into the pack because they new they couldnt catch me. Half way I stopped and waited on my two friends, they were only behind by a bit, and most people stopped for water but we kept going. A break started and looked strong so my friend Gail and I jumped in and started spinning, 53/16 or so and about 25 mph. Wow I was thinking this is the fastest I have ever ridden consistently for this amount of time. After a while Gail and I decided to drop off to 20mph to wait on our other friend. I was thinking even though I dropped I totally could have kept up. After the ride I was talking to some of the people who were trying to make the breaks. They said that one by the rest stop we though we had it and then out of no where there you were. He said he was going to try to catch me but he took one stroke and knew I was gone. I didnt want to make him feel bad but they did eventually catch me but that was when I stopped to wait on my friends. Heheh. I got lots of complements afterwards. Especially on my pace and steadiness when pulling.
So this was the fastest ride I have ever done at this mileage. We finished 1:57:00 at 19.6 mph average. I know had I hung with that other group I could have averaged at least 21 maybe 22. So Im feeling a little rejuvenated and believe that the training is starting to pay off. Now I just need to see that transfer over to my mountain biking.
t