Countdown to OC11 – 5 days

This Ride: 22.3 miles
Kona Distance: 4,335.7 miles
Month to date: 525.7 miles
2010 Total: 4,822.1 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (317.8 miles ahead of goal pace)

A whole weekend off the bike doesn’t mean a whole weekend away from cycling.  OC11 is Saturday & Sunday and I’m thinking about it, dreaming about it, and planning for it.  OC11 is the 11th in a series of Severna Park Peloton Rides from Stevensville, MD to Ocean City, MD.  That’s Saturday.  Sunday has a return ride, essentially the reverse ride. It is well over 200 miles for the weekend.  Needless to say, that will be my biggest 2 day distance.  But that’s five days away.

This morning was confusing.  I couldn’t find my heart rate monitor.  My home thermometer said 59, but weatherunderground.com said 52.  Those 7 degrees are vastly different when riding.  I dressed for somewhere in between.  It was 59, so I was a little warm.

Seven started at the Rusty Bridge and three quickly joined us.  It was pleasant.  It was routine.  It was a pretty morning.  Dave dropped a chain on the hill in Round Bay, which happened when the group was split and those who were in front circled around to wait.  Once we got to B&A Blvd, the pace continually climbed.  It is a long very gradual downhill with a few rollers and it is easy to hit speeds over 30 mph.  About the time someone slows, another “attacks” so our speed is generally pretty quick over this section.  That’s especially true on the Monday’s I’ve ridden with the group since we’ve been holding back until that part of the ride.

It felt good.  I would have liked to ride more, but that will have to wait.