So.....I had my last training ride at Yankee Springs last night. I left work and got a little turned around on the way north...but got there eventually. I was glad I was a little late because I ran into Niel and Jody as I was heading out. I knew they would catch me...but more on that later.
Yankee Springs is a wicked trail. Sand, roots, rocks, sand, hills, sand, sandy hills, rocky sand, rooty rocks, ect. I wanted to get one fast (for me) ride in before the TT. The strange thing is that I started strong, but the 80 degree air was killing me. I was wheezing from asthma, which hasn't happened at all this year. The resulting lack of oxygen in my lungs was depriving good blood for my legs and I started feeling like dirt. Determined to keep pushing on I just decided to walk the longer hills and not kill myself. At the 1/2 way mark I still hadn't been passed by Niel or Jody. Then, I hear..."Hey buddy...how you feeling?" as Niel approached. I was walking and he was out of sight in a hurry. I kept pushing onward and started to feel a little better, but my breathing was still a mess. With about 2.5 miles to go I hammered it as best as I could. I went super hard on the flats...then when the trail tilted uphill even a little I felt dead. Just no energy......but Jody still hadn't passed me. With about 50 to go I heard "HEY"....as if my heart wasn't beating fast enough....she scared the bejeebes out of me and it started beating harder. LOL.
I almost made it around without her catching me...and I will take that as a victory.
Ride time: 1:20:20.
Now with 11 people in my class I know this will not be fast enough, but I will do my best. I am shooting for 1:15 or better because I hope that my race pace will be faster and that I will feel better. So, good luck everyone. I will post a race report on Sunday evening or Monday.
Let the season begin!
No comments:
Post a Comment