Afternoon Delight

This Ride: 20.5 miles
Month: 183.5 miles
2011: 643.6 miles
Total since 1/1/10: 6,763.3 miles

Yes, the title dates me … but the ride this afternoon was pretty good.

A very late night last night kept me in bed this morning for another hour, meaning I missed the 5:45 ride.  The sleep was needed.  The forecast and schedule for this afternoon made it possible for me to get out and do a quick ride, so in temperatures in the mid 50s to low 60s and a nice stiff breeze I set out for that quick ride.  These are likely the conditions for the afternoon part of the upcoming Tappahannock 200K brevet on Saturday, so it also gave me a good clothing check.  My chart isn’t as accurate for these temperatures as I would like.

The first thing I noticed was that my front derailleur was rubbing some, so after 3 miles I stopped and made a minor adjustment.  Back on the bike, I seemed to be struggling for position on the seat.  About 8 miles into the ride I climbed off again and moved the test Aliante up about half an inch.  At the south end of the trail, I continued on until reaching Highway 2, then turned back for home.

I noticed that as I greeted people, I kept saying, “Good morning”.  Old habits die hard.

A young woman I met on the trail asked if I had a tire pump.  Her rear tire was going soft and she needed to cover another mile or two back to her car at the end of the trail.  I obliged.  It gave me a chance to remove my ear warmers and gloves since I was overheating anyway.  The tire was re-inflated and once again I was back on my way.

I kept the heart rate and the speed up a little higher than usual for this ride, and it felt good.  I finished with the same loop I started with, and since I seemed to be battling the seat again, looked to move it forward some more once I got home.  When I checked, the seat had slid back to the stops.  No wonder it kept feeling like it was too far back.  It was as far back as it could go.  Unless I have better luck with keeping the seat in place and it feels right the next two rides, I’ll have to use super glue to repair the old seat, and reinstall it for the brevet on Saturday.  In fact, that’s probably the best choice anyway.

The numbers show the workout.  My average rolling speed was 16.8 mph (not bad on the trail in the afternoon with construction equipment, runners, riders, and traffic).  My average heart rate was 153 (Zone 4.9) or just below the calculated anaerobic level.  Now to get that speed up and heart rate down.

This morning, the Severna Park Patch featured the article we were interviewed for last Friday morning.  You can find the article here.

I’m starting to obsess about the Tappahannock 200K brevet.  I’ve moved into planning mode.  I’ll leave home no later than 3:45 am on Saturday.  I’ve started my list of purchases to make on Friday.  I’m planning my nutrition/hydration plan.  Cue sheets have been posted.  Here is a brief description of the ride:

This route is a favorite and is one of our flatter 200Ks and a great way to start our 2011 season. Paul’s description says:

Starting from the historic town of Ashland, VA, (The Center of the Universe) the ride heads east toward river country. Leaving Ashland, the first few miles pass through signs of modern times: gas stations, truck stops and fast food joints. When the route turns at the antique store Two Frogs on a Bike the surroundings seem to go back to the time of quiet roads and rural atmosphere. The rolling terrain levels out as the route approaches the Rappahannock River and the town of Tappahannock. After the control and lunch at Java Jack, the route leaves Tappahannock and the rolling hills continue with an occasional short, steep climb.

The ride finishes at the Ashland Coffee & Tea, which serves a very nice selection of food.

I’m looking forward to it.