I Found the Fast

What a pretty morning!  As I left the house, Venus and Jupiter were bright in the eastern sky.  The full moon was getting ready to set in the west.  It was a comfortable 72° F and at least for the first few miles, it felt as though the humidity was down.  Maybe it is because I’m starting a few days vacation that things were looking better.  I need the time off!

At the Rusty Bridge, there were fewer of us than there have been recently, but no matter, we still ride.  A quick pace was begun and I was undecided about what kind of ride mine would be.  I knew I didn’t have really fast in my legs, but I thought I could do a quick ride.  It could be my last ride before Monday.  I recalled that some of my fastest rides have been where I didn’t push so hard that I burned out, but rather kept a quick pace just under my anaerobic threshold.  So that’s what I attempted to do.

I barely hung on for the first quarter of the ride.  I fell off the back at Old County Road and was the only one of the group to remain on Old County.  I tried hard to stay ahead of the main group as long as possible, but they caught me just before Severn Way.  I didn’t have the lung capacity to stay with them on the final stretch of the trail but I did make a quick turn around and made some good time heading back north on the trail.  Mike C hung back and waited for me and we rode back into Severna Park together, keeping a respectable time.  We talked a good deal (between gasps for air) about Bradley Wiggins’ time trial in the Olympics yesterday.  Wiggins held an average of just over 32 mph for the time trial.  Mike and I resolved to achieve at least that on the one downhill before Fishpaws, and once we achieved that, just couldn’t imagine holding that for an entire time trial.

It was good to get back on the trail and bring the pace down some.  Dan and Chip had waited for us to make sure we were ok, so the 4 of us made our way along the last part of the usual route.

I was anxious to get back home to see what Strava had to say about my speed on particular segments.  My average speed on the morning ride was 18.5 mph … respectable.  Strava says my time this morning was my 3rd best for the nearly 15 miles I have pegged as a main segment.  I’m slowly replacing last fall’s fast times with better ones.

Now for a few days off the bike.  I could take a bike to the beach this weekend, but I think I’ll rest the legs, ride an easy Mosey Monday ride, then throw the bike in the car for our Monday night overnight 200k back on the Eastern Shore.  This will be my first RUSA ride since the Fleche, and I’m looking forward to it.

This Ride: 22.1 miles
Month: 44.8 miles
2012: 3,407.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 17,261.2 miles