Seems like forever since I last updated. Truth be told there hasn't been too much riding done by me here lately. I was able to get out for the Heart of VA century ride this past weekend. I had begun the day with a time window of when I would have liked to have finished. The window was between 5 and 5 1/2 hours.
The ride started off in Ashland and would take us all over Henrico and Hanover before all was said and done. I started the ride alone and before I knew it, was starting to reel in some of the groups that had started a little before me. This worried me a little as since it had been so long since I had put in a long distance ride, I was a bit afraid I wouldn't be able to hold that pace until the end.
About 60 miles in was the "lunch stop" where I stopped for a banana and new bottles. There I ran into Cycles Ed. Stopped and chatted with him for a second before getting back on the bike. That's when my fears came to fruition. I no longer had the power in my legs to sustain the 21 mph average I had set before the stop. It was a long last 40 miles full of upper quad pain in my left leg. Limping towards the finish, I arrived 6 hours after I started.
Despite the discomfort towards the end of the ride I was pleased with my effort. Looks like I will need to get out for the longer rides more often. Hard to do though with the race season dwindling to an end. Any suggestions?
The ride started off in Ashland and would take us all over Henrico and Hanover before all was said and done. I started the ride alone and before I knew it, was starting to reel in some of the groups that had started a little before me. This worried me a little as since it had been so long since I had put in a long distance ride, I was a bit afraid I wouldn't be able to hold that pace until the end.
About 60 miles in was the "lunch stop" where I stopped for a banana and new bottles. There I ran into Cycles Ed. Stopped and chatted with him for a second before getting back on the bike. That's when my fears came to fruition. I no longer had the power in my legs to sustain the 21 mph average I had set before the stop. It was a long last 40 miles full of upper quad pain in my left leg. Limping towards the finish, I arrived 6 hours after I started.
Despite the discomfort towards the end of the ride I was pleased with my effort. Looks like I will need to get out for the longer rides more often. Hard to do though with the race season dwindling to an end. Any suggestions?