I got up, made some coffee and did some self talk. I knew I had to ride, especially if I was going to get rid of my fuzzy brain and get back on track training wise. The weather was also the best it's been in a long time, it was going to 9 or 10 C today.
By 11 am I was out the door. Immediately I was cycling stronger than I have in a long, long time. For the first 90 minutes I was averaging close to 31 kph. It didn't come without pain, I was sweating profusely and my heart rate was much higher than normal. I was not at my best.
Forty-five minutes into my ride I hooked up with a 52- year old cyclist named Peter, a mining-analyst for a brokerage house. We rode together for about an hour. It was nice to have someone to talk to. I could have went with him longer, but noticed my heart rate was climbing up and I was getting slower, I didn't want the pressure to keep up with him and say out of my heart rate zone.
Even though it was warm, I was cold, I was bundled up like it was winter and the extreme sweat was not dissipating and was making me cold. There was more cyclists on the roads than I have ever seen before, it was such a nice day, for the first time of the year. Many of the cyclists didn't have bootes, or gloves and had skin showing. I ended up opening up my jacket and the air helped evaporate the sweat and I warmed up.
In some respects it felt like I was on an early season ride, missing 4-days and abusing my body so much had taken it's toll. I couldn't maintain the 30 kph average as my heart rate for the last 4.5 hours was hard to keep under 143 bpm. I did notice that when I see another cyclist my competitive juices take over and I ride harder. The entire ride I was hoping to avoid other riders, I wasn't going to go over my heart rate and didn't want to be embarrassed when they passed me.
Mentally it was a tough ride. Physically okay. As much as I wanted to do 7 hours, I cut it short and only did 6 hours. I wanted to get home and rest and catch up on my sleep and relax. I still have 3 more long ride weekends and in prep for IMSG, I'll have done at least 8 or 9 long rides under my belt. The next three weeks have to be good. Even Alice expressed some concern about me drinking and not training, with IMSG so close.
I got home and I averaged 28.0 kph for the ride, I was really happy with that. Last year during the winter, bundled up and training for China, I averaged in the 28's and I raced strong. Bundled up and cold definitely slows you down.
On the ride, I spoke to my brother a number of time. I have a technique where I can put the phone tucked into my helmet strap and I hear through my earphones and talk through the phone. The one good thing about talking on the phone is it kills time. I had one minor scare when the phone fell out of my helmet, was hanging by the ear phone cord and then started bouncing off the front tire. I was thinking "no, I hope it doesn't go into the spokes and I wipe out". It kind of did and then flew off from the cord and fell to the road. I had to stop and go back and get it. I'm glad I have an Otter Box case on it, it makes the phone almost indestructible.
Overall the first 3 hours of the ride was the longest first 3 hours of a ride I've ever had, I was really proud I hammer it out hurting for 6 hours and notching another century plus ride on my belt buckle.
When I got home I stretched, I didn't want to, I was tired. I stunk so bad, Alyssa was almost getting sick. I agreed, there was some pretty nasty toxins coming out of my body, maybe the worst I've ever experienced. It was 4 days of built up stink.
I showered and just wanted to lie down and watch the final rounds of the Masters, I couldn't. I had to barbecue some nice big fat steaks. I ate on the couch, watched the Masters and eventually fell asleep. I was in a coma from tiredness, at times it was near impossible to open my eyes.
When I did wake up, I had enough energy to catch up on my blog for the next couple hours. My brain was not near as fuzzy anymore and I definitely wanted to capture these past few days, they are very important days and I want to be able to look back on them. These are those moments in time that open doors to next phases of your life.
It was a good day, not easy, but good. AND I back on track to feeling like an athlete.
Long Bike - 6:02:47 / 169.66 km / 28.1 km avg / 139 avg hr
188 lbs
6 comments:
way to get out there and do it
Great news cycling strongest in a long while!
LOVE going to sleep on the couch with golf on (and training completed:)
D
Ahhhhh, good to see Bryan the cigar smoking, beer drinking, HTFU, SIU, Ironman back with us rather than Bryan the cigar smoking, beer drinking, SAF (soft as...), SIO(...it off), "Man".
I thought we were losing you to the dark (fat) side again.
D, thanks.
S, no loss to dark side, although I too was worried. I did that once before 20 years ago, can't imagine going back. Feels much better to be back after only 4 days, that felt like 4 weeks.
B
I know what you mean, it's scary stuff thinking about what we had become and going back there.
There comes a point in the funk where it's easy to just say "What the F#%k, it's too hard, I've lost too much fitness" (really scares me) but then when you get back into it you realise that you're not that far away at all and wonder why you ever stopped or doubted yourself.
Funny, fickle and strange, these human frailties ay?
Sometimes you gotta call it on those long rides. I hope I ride nearly as long as you have been for Rev 3.
Going to take a lot of mental focus to stay on the bike that long.
Way to go man! Keep hitting these key workouts!
S, so true.
M, thanks and don't worry, you'll do it. It is very gradifying to do long rides consistently and REV 3 won't hurt as much, it may even be enjoyable.
B
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