Lightning flashed on the road ahead, in the gray skies of Eastern Washington. Right before us around 50 miles out of Wenatchee where me and Serial Midget would ride. Usually a forboding sign however considering the high average temperatures of the area we were to ride in, we considered it a good sign. Perhaps we were in store for some cooler temperatures for a tough little fire road climb with 3400 feet of elevation in 14 miles.
Trailhead parked, geared up, ready to roll....
Considering i've been feeling pretty strong this year and have been dabbling in hammering with my middle ring, i kept up a fairly good pace at the start. Wind strong, heart beating a little fast but still feeling good, a half hour of this Midge turns and asks if i'm racing. With my muscles tightening particularly my back i felt this was a good time to back off the pedals a tad. After an hour of towing hard in a the middle ring i was educated on the difference between anorobic and aerobic effort and the consequences thereof. Ole Master Midge was telling me that by staying in my middle ring i was actually burning muscles and that by doing the granny spin i would actually keep my heart rate down and not put such a burden on my system.
It's funny but for years i've been riding correctly in an aerobic fashion, but always seemed to pig on climbs. This year i've been dabbling in staying in my middle ring and pushing just to get stronger to keep up with stronger climbers and have been succesful, but most of the rides have been on flatter less aggressive climbs. Now that i'm smack dab in epic climbing season, now is a great time to be corrected and go back to the correct way of "spinning". Maybe if i paid more attention to some threads, i'd have known this without being told.
Last push up the ridge the clouds came to save the day. Easing the heat and giving us a cool breeze to the top of the Mission Ridge trailhead. Sitting there with a good pal, staring across the Columbia river basin, staring at mountains that are a hundred miles away. On one side the green tree's dot and cover the Cascade mountain foothills. Across the river to the right, the city of East Wenatchee, and stretching beyond in a haze the yellow we behold the dry transition of rolling hills and fields that make up most of Eastern Washington. Me and midge could have just sat there for frikkin hours. Just smelling the fresh rain that was chasing us from the southwest to our backs, beholding a view that no camera can ever truly do justice. Grubbin on Nutri-Grain bars, hammer gel, and a stash of cheap beef jerky that was worth more than gold after accomplishing a beauty of a climb. Sweat stained eyes dried up, cool breeze and busy bugs convinced us it was time to dust off and saddle up. 14 miles of sweet descending singletrack lie ahead. A pull of water, clippin in the pedals, wheel forward, time to fly.....
Trailhead parked, geared up, ready to roll....
Considering i've been feeling pretty strong this year and have been dabbling in hammering with my middle ring, i kept up a fairly good pace at the start. Wind strong, heart beating a little fast but still feeling good, a half hour of this Midge turns and asks if i'm racing. With my muscles tightening particularly my back i felt this was a good time to back off the pedals a tad. After an hour of towing hard in a the middle ring i was educated on the difference between anorobic and aerobic effort and the consequences thereof. Ole Master Midge was telling me that by staying in my middle ring i was actually burning muscles and that by doing the granny spin i would actually keep my heart rate down and not put such a burden on my system.
It's funny but for years i've been riding correctly in an aerobic fashion, but always seemed to pig on climbs. This year i've been dabbling in staying in my middle ring and pushing just to get stronger to keep up with stronger climbers and have been succesful, but most of the rides have been on flatter less aggressive climbs. Now that i'm smack dab in epic climbing season, now is a great time to be corrected and go back to the correct way of "spinning". Maybe if i paid more attention to some threads, i'd have known this without being told.
Last push up the ridge the clouds came to save the day. Easing the heat and giving us a cool breeze to the top of the Mission Ridge trailhead. Sitting there with a good pal, staring across the Columbia river basin, staring at mountains that are a hundred miles away. On one side the green tree's dot and cover the Cascade mountain foothills. Across the river to the right, the city of East Wenatchee, and stretching beyond in a haze the yellow we behold the dry transition of rolling hills and fields that make up most of Eastern Washington. Me and midge could have just sat there for frikkin hours. Just smelling the fresh rain that was chasing us from the southwest to our backs, beholding a view that no camera can ever truly do justice. Grubbin on Nutri-Grain bars, hammer gel, and a stash of cheap beef jerky that was worth more than gold after accomplishing a beauty of a climb. Sweat stained eyes dried up, cool breeze and busy bugs convinced us it was time to dust off and saddle up. 14 miles of sweet descending singletrack lie ahead. A pull of water, clippin in the pedals, wheel forward, time to fly.....
