Back to the grind

Since returning from Calvins 3 weeks ago, I have been lacking the desire to get out and ride on any sort of consistent basis which is evident by the fact I have ridden less miles in those 3 weeks as I did in the one day in Ohio. This week however thanks to watching a week's worth of pro cycling last week, I have been much more motivated.

Talking with Big Wiggins at work on Tuesday made both of us realize the fact that neither of us were scheduled to work yesterday. Ever since leading the TnT team on the Frog Leg Metric a couple of weeks ago, I have been itching to get back up that way. It didn't take much convincing to have Wiggins join me.

As of late, it has started to appear that you cannot be on top of your social networking game unless you include some video in your posts. I decided I would mount up the hero pro camera to the bike and try to catch some of the highlights of the beautiful ride we were about to take.

Camera mounted

The drive up had me a bit weird-ed out as it seemed as if someone were watching me. Each time I looked in the rear view mirror all I could see was a little lens just over the top of my phallicly challenged skull. Nonetheless, we arrived at the courthouse, suited up and hit the road.

Someone's watching me

The ride started well with everything I had promised hills, scenery and then more hills. I haven't been able to look at the video footage as of yet but I do know there will only be scenes from the first 20 miles or so because either the batteries died (hadn't been charged in awhile) or the memory card was full (camera cuts itself off when full).

Around the 45 mile mark or so, the combination of the heat and my lack of executing a sound nutrition plan really started to play a role. My legs really started to go away from me and looking back there really shouldn't be much of a surprise. I am just surprised it didn't happen earlier. The problem was, I drank according to plan but did not eat. One of these days I will learn to put food in my mouth, one of these days...

Should have stopped for gas

The last 17 miles seemed to drag on mentally but actually went by pretty quickly. Even with as little energy as I had, Wiggins' presence and his never ending energy kept the pace higher than if I were out alone. I would have just limped home for sure but instead I tried to not slow him down to much. We arrived back and despite my efforts to blow our average pace on the final leg, I have to be happy with still being over 18 mph for the duration.

Beautiful Day and now my legs hurt

The morning started off with Jenn and I going out to meet the Team out at Osborne Park. I was a it weary of the weather conditions as I have begun to be a big ole puss when it comes to being cold. Thursday night we went out to Westcreek where it seems to always be about 10 degrees colder there than any other place in Richmond. We had planned on doing 3 quick laps (18 miles) but it soon turned into 2 quick laps as my fingernails had started to feel like I had slammed each and every one with a BFH. I had Friday off and had been looking forward to a couple hour ride all week. But with being cold on Thursday night and being a being pile of lazy I stayed at home and played with the pups all day.
Back to Saturday. I was hoping it would warm up like the weatherpersons said it was going to but weary all the same as they don't always predict it right. The group ride had gone really well with everyone keeping a very good pace the whole 33 miles. As always when we ride out there we were blessed with a few laughs and WTH looks on our faces. The WTH looks usually stemmed from a dead animal carcass. The final count was

• 3 deer
• 3 fish
  
• 2 house cats and
  
• 1 red fox hanging from a barb wire fence

Once we got back to the parking lot I had made the decision to continue on ride back to the house. Between the high 40 degree day and my clothing selection I had warmed up real nice like. Just before I was about to leave the parking lot, a customer of mine Ed McNelis of Team Nature's Path had rolled up to the park to use the restroom. Seems he was out on a solo trip in search of the ever elusive base mile. After a brief conversation, I had a partner to ride back through the city with and off we went.

My legs felt pretty good despite not eating breakfast or lunch or anything other than a Fruit Smoothie Powerbar just before the start of the first 33 miles. By the time the road turned upwards to begin the accent from the riverbed my legs started to remind me, my diet routine stinks. I couldn't take on Gelblasts fast enough, I had hit the wall.

With the dark clouds rolling in for the afternoon rain showers they had been predicting I knew I couldn't just sit up and coast back. Well that and I knew I was still about 15 miles out and I had told Jenn it would only take me about 1.5ish hours to get home so I pressed on. Downing drink, gel blast, drink, gel blast for the next 52 minutes. My legs started to come back to me a little along the flatter/rolling parts of Huguenot. I hadn't been paying attention to the time really but I knew it had been 1.5 hours since I left when I heard the phone ringing. I stopped to call Jenn back and let her know I was only about 4-5 miles out and I would be home as quick as my two dead legs would get me there.

All in all it was a great ride. Ended up with my first metric century under my belt for 2009 and it has me thirsting for the next one. Look out there is blood in the water!