training-ride

Hours Sleeping	5	Time of Day	8:00 AM
Body Weight		Body Fat
Distance	72 miles	Power
Time	Total – 4:45 Moving – 4:00?	Speed	Overall Moving
Total Ascent		Max	Speed Elevation Gradient

Breakfast	5:00 AM – cereal
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food	large bottle w/3 scoops Sustained Energy, large bottle w/3 scoops Perpetuem, Fig Newtons, gel
Injuries
Therapy
Workout Type	endurance
Weather	low to mid 40s, dry, calm, sun at the end
Course
Results
Equipment	Rain Bike
Clothing	Sugoi shoe covers, Wooly Bully socks, Roubaix knickers, Roubaix leg warmers, Craft short sleeve undershirt, Craft long sleeve shirt, heavy long sleeve jersey, Polypropylene gloves, OR Gripper gloves, cap

We got lucky with the weather today, that's for sure. I met Greg K and Ryan D at the University Village Starbucks (after having to race there on account of I can't get my ass out of the house at a reasonable time...) but I beat Greg there so all was good.

We headed north and I think I was worried about making it to Log Boom Park by the appointed time so pulled the whole way. When we got there I was surprised how little time it really takes to ride all the way north... Here we met Tony B, Steve O, Jed B and RC R. I was hoping for a few more but such is life. For a change of pace we decided on the HSP Rocket Ride route. Plus I wanted to go up some hills.

Steve is obviously a gifted climber and led all the way up Hollywood. It was not severe but with the group wanting to do a true endurance ride (250 ish watts) I found the two of us and Jed off the front just a little. I was feeling pretty good today and was hoping it would last.

It didn't. About half way through the ride I started to fade. Shoving Fig Newtons in my mouth did not help much. As we rode up High Bridge I noticed that Jed and RC were fading much worse than me and so from the time we turned left on Fails I resolved to stick with them in hopes of us all finishing together. I must have given each of them at least three 'assists' (read: hand on back) on hills and it was killing me but it worked. In the end RC decided to go it along once we turned left on Broadway, it sounds like he was on the verge of cramping.

I gave Jed one more shove and then had to sit on! I was pretty blown. I had a couple of shots of gel and another big gulp of my liquid food and decided I would give it one more go in an attempt to finish my legs off proper. I sat on for the next mile or two and then on the second to last climb on 156th I gave it everything I had and went by the group on the left side.

Ryan had been riding VERY well. The last several miles he was pretty much on the front the entire time and doing a sterling job of keeping it right in that endurance zone. Greg, who had started out feeling like crap was coming around too and would go to the front on the descents to keep the workload up when people tend to coast.

I was hoping that I might be able to get away but my move hurt quite a lot even as I just crested the hill. And as I glanced back under my arm I saw a wheel right behind mine. Ryan does a good job of describing the next mile. Truth be told my 'attack' was pretty weak. Both Greg and Ryan managed to catch me pronto. But that was okay, my goal was just to work as hard as I could and that is what I did. I kept the effort as high as possible without exploding and pulled all the way into the last incline. Of course both Ryan and Greg came around me and left me for dead on the last hill but I did manage to keep it in the big ring to the top. Barely. Man did that hurt. I seem to recall having more of that sort of strength last year so I guess now I have a goal.

ASIDE – watching Greg and Ryan dual to the top was impressive! From my vantage point they were neck-and-neck all the way to the summit and going 100 percent.

After re-grouping we just coasted home. I was so empty. By the time we hit the Burke Gilman Trail I could hardly turn over the pedals. Still, I opted for a couple of extra miles and got the company of Ryan and Greg all the way to Gas Works Park; that was nice. Climbing Capitol Hill was just punching the clock and I was repeatedly grateful for the 36-tooth chainring I had on the front.

When I got home Shelley had some hot soup ready to go. God that was nice.