TNT Training Ride #3

On the W&OD! My neck of the woods! Started at Rte. 28, rode West for an hour, then turned around and rode back. Riding out sucked because of the winds and the slight uphill grade--I wasn't able to hold any speed much above 12mph. Then we (Mike, Matt, and Me) met up with a few people at Clark's Gap (5 miles from Purcellville, right at the switchback) and we turned around and rode home. The way home was awesome! The winds were cooperating, and the downhill grade was so nice, it was almost impossible to dip below 20mph, and there were times when I'd gotten it up to 25-28 mph, easy.

Me and Mike were jibbing on each other on the way out: I had stopped to help a guy get his chain back on his chainrings, and then stopped again to help another guy get his chain on his chainrings, and Mike went on ahead...when I caught up to him, 5 miles later, I jokingly said to him "C'mon Mike, go faster!". Well, he didn't, and I found my way to the front of our little group. After a few minutes of this, he yelled "C'mon Kent, go faster!" So I did...and left them in the dust! (Really all that happened is that I did a quick sprint, bumping my speed up to 19mph for a minute and then dropping it back to 12mph, which is what they were riding at, so I just made a gap between me and them). Then we met up with the people at Clark's Gap and turned around and booked it back to Rte. 28. After a few stoppages, I found myself clipped in with only one foot (the other used to plant during a stop) and was doing one-legged-drills on a whim, which Mike thought I was showing off (well, I was a little).

Then I found my way to the front of the group after a few rolling stops, and announced that I'd pull, and turned on the speed. When I started pulling, it was six of us. After five miles, it was two of us. At the end, it was just me. I pulled into the parkinglot, signed in, and waited for a few minutes for everyone else to show up.

After my party showed up, I waited around for 10 minutes for the rest of the TNT riders to show up. When they didn't, I went back out, getting about 7 unofficial miles (I had taken off my bike computer) and picking up another small group of TNTers and riding back for the last time with them.

Afterwards, I stood around in the freezing parking lot (cursed winds!) for about 30 or 40 minutes, waiting for more people to come in. Then 12 of us went to IHOP and tanked up on coffee and hot chocolate.

Good times!

Statistics:
Distance: 28.39mi
Saddle Time: 1h45m
Actual Time: 1h45m (NO STOPPING!)
Start Time: 9:00AM
End Time: 10:45AM
Start Outside Temp: 40°F
End Outside Temp: 40°F
Max Speed: 28.8mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 16.2mph
Avg Speed (actual): 16.2mph

Now if I can keep the names and faces straight, going around the table: Jeff (older guy, late 30s/early 40s), Marianne, Kim, ??? (Fred's wife), Fred (old guy w/ beard), Aisha (black grad student), Ned (older guy), Jane (very fit, older lady), Chris (Jane's husband, older guy), (me), Coleman (young, early/mid 20's), Kelly (young, early/mid 20's). Matt is riding that golden Trek that doesn't have a seat-tube, Josh is riding that cool prismatic purple-green Cannondale, Riad (sp?) was riding a black Klein (but usually rides on a tandem), Chuck was riding a blue bike (Cannondale?). I'll learn everyone's names yet!