Jul 29, 2023

BEST RIDE OF THE YEAR WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT

TODAY WAS THE BEST RIDE OF THE YEAR. I probably say that every week, but I don't usually add this...

... it was a huge disappointment.

Due to my terrible mechanicking last night, the road bike was KIA.

Which left the gravel bike,
for a superfast
road ride.

I'm gonna tell ya right now, because there's a lesson I learned, I had a strategy in mind.

In order to compensate for the additional 3lbs of bike weight,
greater rolling resistance of the fatter tires,
and the wide gear spacing...

... I knew there was only one thing to do.

Even then, the ride was really hitting me hard.

I'd find myself constantly wishing I had more gear options,
either completely spun out,
or grinding away.

When the group would accelerate, I would too.
In slow motion.

It was so hard.

Miraculously, I was hangin' on.

Yeah, I got lucky on a couple of lights.
Yeah, I took the one short cut.

Somehow, against my hopes and wishes, I made it to the final 20 minutes climb to the highest point of the ride.

Not last.
Not first.

What made the ride so fun, after all that suffering, was hitting the gravel options on the way back home...

.. slidin' the turns, dustin' up the shins.

The dessert portion of the ride.

So, why has it so disappointing?

Well, I reallyreallyreally dug deep to hang on.

I was just dawgawn sure I'd logged a much harder effort than the same ride two weeks ago.

Look at this.

The efforts are veryvery similar.

A little less Threshold than 2 weeks ago, 3 minutes.
A lot more Tempo this week, 31 minutes.

Max heart rate 5 bpm higher this week, 175.

I thought I'd have a lotlotlot more Threshold, not less.

It just seemed, waywayway harder...

... because it was so much more difficult to be efficient.

So, what's the lesson?

Hang on,
never lead,
surf the groups energy.

While I was faux wallowing in my Skratch recovery, I noticed something.

According to the Starva Lords, both rides were Historic efforts.
Two weeks ago was a 272,
this week was a 327.

Not, too shabby after all...

... I think I'll be doing this ride dirty again, soon.

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164.8
7hrs
0 cross training
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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