Actually 2 rides for about eighty miles total isn't overdoing in my book. and with the ambitious conclusion to this 16 week training I have embarked upon it really is just a warm up.
Last week we kicked off the 09 TNT training season. Even though a snowstorm delayed us 1 day team members got together and got their training schedules.
Now lets stop for a moment here... I am a cyclist but I have never maintained any specific fitness regimen. My occasional gym memberships have gone wasted. I would rather go for a long hike, walk 18 holes or ride 50 miles than do 3 sets of 10 reps of some mindless exercise. That said the idea of riding a century at 1 mile plus above sea level has made me a bit more conscious of the need to prepare. So I have begun to do a few of those sets and reps. I have started to eat better and I am riding harder!
OK so I muddled through the core training Thursday afternoon.. took Friday off to let my muscles stop throbbing and woke up Saturday with the idea of a good hilly ride. I live on the Jersey Shore. Hills for us are mostly what other people consider bumps but with some planning I was able to plan a 43 mile loop with some pretty good ones. I use bikely.com to plan and map my rides and the elevation profile there is a great tool. While the biggest hills were 150-300 ft. there are a few pretty steep ones (150 ft in 1/2mile for example) and the hilly sections totalled 1600 + feet.
Sunday the weather was even better! Temps were in the 50s at 9am and heading into the 60s. No UnderArmor today! We took off from Swedesboro in south west NJ and headed east toward Parvin State Park.. a 50 mile loop on flat country roads. They said by afternoon the winds would pick up but our plan was to be back by then. The best laid plans.... by noon the winds were howling.. westerlies.. and our cars were 18 miles west! We decided to break off the ride about 8 miles short of our goal and head back. I later learned the winds were steady at 25 with gusts to 45. There were times it felt as if the bike hit a wall. Speeds and cadences dropped as we climbed small rises only to be greeted with gale force gusts as we crested each successive rise. It was like a hill that never ended. I imagine this is what the 9 mile climb up Spooner is like.
This weekend is our first Team ride. In between is Core and cardio and a couple of short rides. The weather doesn't look promising for Saturday a chance of rain or snow they say, but I will be there.
**Fundraising Note: I just send off a check for a few cash donations. With pending matching funds, a likely corporate sponsorship and the check I just mailed my first hurdle is behind me. I am on the Team! I AM GOING TO TAHOE! I can not express often enough my gratitude for the generosity of my family, friends and colleagues. Not only does having the fundraising aspect complete allow me to focus on training, but you have provided a boost to my motivation that is beyond words. Thank You Thank You Thank You
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