WHERE TO TRAIN?
TODAY WAS A GOOD LESSON, one that is hard to remember when racing and hard to execute when training. I guess it was more a reminder...
... the kind that stings.
Which is good,
because I need to remember this at the races.
Being my last big day,
of my big training block,
I wanted to wring out all my body had.
If you depend on group rides, like I do,
to push the bounds of fitness,
it can be a mixed bag.
Sometimes social,
sometimes very anti-social.
It's the rides where nobody can talk,
too busy gasping for air,
that do the trick.
There's a section that's about 3 miles of false flat,
that I've ridden at least 1,000 times...
... PR'd it.
It was the kind of day where the strong were flying on the front,
and the rest flying off the back.
A few miles later,
it all blew to pieces.
This is the exciting part, at least for me.
There is an 11.53 mile segment, with 1900' of vertical, that I really wanted to test myself on, and see if I could PR it. (I have done it 27 times)
Thomas and I went over the top of the the first pitch together, worked really hard to catch Ken and George before the next climb.
The four of us rotated well for a while.
then just three of us,
then just two.
Any time the pace would ease, I'd get to the front and push as hard as I could.
This was training,
a test.
Towards the top, with about a mile to go, my dear ol' pal, someone I used to think of as a friend...
... jumped me and rode away.
Can you believe that!
It's all good,
that's the kind of friends I like to hang around with,
plus, I snagged that PR I was looking for and feeling quite good about the fitness.
Here is the lesson.
Train at the front,
finish at the front...
... of the race.
Here is the reminder.
Ditch that mentality on raceday,
keep the powder dry until at matters...
... at the race.
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If you noticed, Ben O'Connor did not practice this today... he pulled through and then led after Primoz attacked. He didn't have to do that, he could have sat on longer...
... maybe he wouldn't have lost nearly a minute.
PS: Special Vuelta inspired kit...
... and use promo code GCRED and save 30% on the GC Red gear.
Here's the link: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/the-gc-collection
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164ish
7.5ish hrs
Pullups Pushups
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling