Whoa, it's windy and cold outside!
So two day training report:
1) I put in 25 easy miles last night out to Arlington and back from 6 to 7:30 in the dark. I would have gone sooner, but I got a flat and had to swing by CHB to get a new set of tires (I've been putting this off for months) before setting out.
2) I made the effort down at HP for lunch today in the cold and wind (I saw snow coming down at one point and the back stretch all out effort into the wind was around 20 mph ... max) for about a total of 24 miles.
So my thoughts are as follows. What is the line between "training" and just being stupid? Sure more time on the bike is good, but suffering in this cold today was not fun and hurt not in a good way...plus I got another flat (I think this one was due to a bad tube...and bad luck).
I used to own a t-shirt that read "Somewhere someone is training, and when you meet them in on-on-one competion...you will lose." If that fool is training in this weather, all the power to him/her. Outside sucks right about now. This weekend wasn't bad, but today and the rest of this week looks terrible. While I was sitting on the side of the road in the cold wind trying to change my tube today I kept asking myself, "Why do I do this...This isn't fun...Can't I just wait till Spring?".
Maybe it's because I like the suffering. I seem to excel at suffering at work...and maybe it's translated nicely over to the bike. It's probably one of those "Honey, you don't understand...I need to go out and suffer in the cold rain." I wasn't happy at the time, but my mood is good now because of it.
On a side note, the boys down at HP today definetly DO NOT follow the principle of "it's only January...you're going to fast". Three laps in and I found myself on the wrong side of a split in the group heading to the point. We were chasing at close to 29mph (wind was at our backs) and not gaining ground at all...not losing too much, but not gaining (I need to build some mental toughness to push through these situations).
Granted, most of the guys up there were in the 1,2,3 category (or should be), but if they're taking it "easy" because it's January...I don't want to be around them come April (maybe I should take up ping pong). If they're going this hard now and I'm sure they're planning a full season (not just prepping to peak for an early season performance), what's with all the commentary during group rides about "it's only [fill in the early month of your choice] you silly goose". Is it just the slackers that are saying this? Or just those that keep their training log next to their bible on the night stand ("If it says zone 2, I'm going zone 2 dammit!") but insist on still showing up for group rides.
I don't know. Anyway, I'm shooting for around 200 miles this week. The new frame came into the shop yesterday. I got a look and it is sweet looking. Once the weather gets really bad for a couple of days I'll take the Giant in and swap out the parts.
Cheers
Ps Jose, I hope you recover and get back out there soon...you're going to the be man this year.
3 comments:
Great blog. Couldn't have said it any better. It sure was windy today. Temps weren't too bad.
I rode today with Paul Mittelstadt and Ad Bax. They let me pull them around all day. Not. It was too funny today because they wouldn't let me do any turns at the front. They said it was too hard trying to sit behind my scrawny ass since I wasn't blocking jack shit with my massive physique. So I just let the two of them rotate while I stayed in their draft. Even that was difficult with the wind.
Don't worry too much about your fitness, it'll come to you by the spring.
How many guys were at the point that day. You have to remember that it is not everyone doing that in our area. Maybe just a small sample. I do not do that for the reasons you state. I am not saying I am going to be a fast dude this year but I know a few guys who do not do that group ride who are going to kick some ass this year. They just ride slow this time of year and do not dare show up for the noon ride.
As for your bike I think you are just an animal. You proved that at chantilly coming across with a broken wheel.
I tell myself the fun comes later when the races happen. I treat training as a job this time of year. It feels good to look back and see how many guys who did not put the time in hurting. A few times I could see that. Now it is sunny got to ride before the snow happens again.
Jesse,
Thanks for pulling me around the point today. I look forward to more riding with you when Sonja and I get back from CO in a week.
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Take care,
The Chicken
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