Almost There

I'm in week 12 of the 12 week OMTP, the 50 mile one.  I've found this plan to be a little more entertaining than the XC race version.  Having to plan for longer rides plus the hydration and food brought an extra challenge.

So this is as good as I get?  After all the structured rides and gym time?   I was hoping for, I don't know, maybe to feel stronger?  As usual when I get to this point in the season I start to doubt myself.  I always feel like I didn't go hard enough.  Which is easy to say when you're in an air conditioned room but not so easy when it's 100 degrees and you're in your 5th hill repeat.


Sometimes I envy riders who have done this sport for years.  That type of fitness base, if kept, has it's advantages.  But I do have the luxury of never having "been fast".  I came to this sport late so my challenge is to keep it entertaining while the inevitable effects of aging creep in.

8 Hours of Labor

The Kid and I are doing the 4 hour solo at this race Sunday.  It's a 9 mile loop which drives me crazy while I hamster around and around for 4 hours.  But that's part of the challenge.  It will be a good test of my hydration and feeding as I'm planning on packing just like I'm doing a 50 mile loop.  I'm looking forward to it.  95 degrees and humid for 4 hours on a bicycle, what's not to like?

Electric?

Lots of buzz in the MTB world about electric assist bikes.  Looks like some major players are lining up product.  This reminds me of how 4-wheelers were introduced onto moto trails.  What once required some skill and fitness to access all of the sudden became easy.  Fat families and people who had no business in the woods all of the sudden started showing up on their cooler equipped fat tire machines.  In short they destroyed the trails, got into places they shouldn't, and eventually got all of us kicked off of public lands.

Maybe it's not the same thing.  We've sure got it good around here as far as trails go.  I can't thank the folks that work on them enough.  I'm not sure easier access plus more people is a good thing though.

Hard To Swallow

"Just a little more to the left, ahhh that's it"

So this past week Lil Ball has accompanied me on my OMTP rides.  Hill repeats Tuesday followed by 20 minute intervals Thursday.  He's young and a past expert, but has been off the bike lately.  I figured I might be able to keep him in sight on Tuesday.  That lasted about one quarter of the way up the first hill when he easily motored by.

We did 6 of these and I was never able to get close.  But having someone to chase did make me push harder than just doing it by myself.  Still.

Thursday

The Kid joined us tonight for 20 minute intervals, all on the MTB, (as were the Tuesday hill repeats).  My legs felt dead from the start of the first effort.  Do you know how aggravating it is to have two riders glued to your rear wheel while you do everything you can to shake them?  On the last interval Lil Ball went around me and proceeded to disappear into the trees.  I know they're both younger (well a lot younger) but I really don't like these "wake up calls".

When I asked what I needed to do to improve all I got was "turn better".  And just how do I do that? Should it even bother me?  I had a great time riding the intervals, the hill repeats, maybe not so much.  I'm fortunate to be able to just get out here.  All of us are.  So why worry about turning speed?  After all, I got to spend 3 hours with The Kid.  Who, by the way, gives me a look that can only be described as pity when he goes by me now.

Both of these guys have so much cycling ahead of them, so many options, while my own option pool seems to be getting a little shallow.  Poor poor pitiful me.  I've really got it bad don't I?  Not.

Coming Up

The 31st is the 8 Hours of  Labor MTB race at San Felasco.  I think Dr. S-works and I are going to team up.  It'll be a good opportunity to hone in my feeding and hydration on the bike.  Then it's the Tallahassee XC race, which should be humbling.  Followed by Fools Gold.  Then cross season starts, which takes me through till winter, then the whole thing starts all over again.  Man I love a good routine!

Aren't you proud of me?  I got through this whole ditty without using: anyhoo, Beautiful Downtown Havana, or The Lovely Wife.  Plus I'm going to put this crap back on FB so my Mom can read it.  My list of subscribers is rather small.  See ya on the next page.

4+4=Sausage

The sky is bluer (more blue) in Ocala than here in Tallahassee.  We seem to get more haze this time of year while down there it's just puffy white clouds.  Maybe because the Atlantic is on one side and the Gulf on the other?

But just because it's blue doesn't mean it's not just as hot.  I made the 3 hour drive to the Santos Trail Land Bridge Trail head 2 weeks ago and enjoyed the change of scenery.  It's great to be able to ride 3 hours and not repeat any trail.  The truck thermometer said 100 when I got done with the ride.  It didn't take the AC long to cool it down though and I had Neil Alday and Further South to listen to.  I hit the Moes in Alachua for my obligatory burrito and then just enjoyed the drive back.

50% Chance

Of rain on the Saturday following my Santos trip.  Dirt Hippy (DH) and I had planned a long CX ride with the hope that the rain would hold off until we got done.  So naturally as we got to the furthest point from the truck the bottom fell out.  We took pavement back which was fun in a strange way.  Once again, just something different.  By the way, it was dry where we had parked the truck, and it didn't rain again the rest of the day.

Two 4's

This past weekend the OMTP called for 4 hour rides Saturday and Sunday.  DH, Dr. S-works, The Kid, and I did a variation of the Grape Vine Loop on MTB's Saturday.  The temperature was almost pleasant for a change.  It was just a trail ride pace with a little effort on the Tom Brown single track section but it was enough to make me tired.

Sunday was the monthly Sausage Fest ride out of Bradley's Store which is 66 miles of clay and paved roads. Since most of the regular crew was vacationing or hung over we had a small turnout.  El Gato, Shankasaurous, Big Worm, The Kid, and me rolled out.  The Worm pulled the rip cord early and short cut back while the rest of us pedaled on to Boston Ga.  Once again it was a reasonable pace with only a few short efforts.  That ride is a workout regardless of how slow you go though.  So many rolling hills, combined with the rough clay just wears me out.

Anyhoo, we finished it off with sausage dogs and drinks on the front porch of the store.  As we sat under the ceiling fans there was a continuous parade of people coming and going in and out of the store.  Everybody was friendly and chatty.  Seems a beat up old wooden store, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, plus a tasty piece of pork product, just brings out the best in people.

By The Way

That 8 hours really hurt.  Even if it was mostly chill it took me 4 days to not feel tired.  I had trouble getting my hear rate into the prescribed zones and when I did I had a hard time holding it there.  It's been nice to have a light week this week.