Wednesday Buddy Ride

No one but me and Chuck...where was everyone? Without Jeff or anyone else to motivate me, I didn't go as fast as I could have...but we did go longer, out to the General Store and back. And to think, some of our actual training rides were this long.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200
Distance: 32.06mi
Saddle Time: 1h48m50s
Actual Time: 1h55m
Start Time: 6:00PM
End Time: 7:55PM
Start Outside Temp: low 60's
End Outside Temp: high 50's
Max Speed: 33.9mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 17.6mph
Avg Speed (actual): 16.7mph

Tuesday Buddy Ride

My teammates know me now...when I have "that look", I've had a bad day at work. Come to think of it, lately, when haven't I had a bad day at work? Probably the ones where I don't interact with my coworkers much...

Anyways...I got there, Jane said "go" and I went. I was alone for practically the whole ride, anger and frustration driving my pedals against the head-/cross-winds. I got out to Clark's Gap, stopped, had a bite, and then turned around and drafted behind a guy who passed me going the other way. He turned off in Leesburg, and I kept going, catching up with Jane's mini-group shortly. "If you go fast, you can catch up with the other group!" she called to me as I raced ahead. "I know! And I will!" I shouted back. And I did--not 10 minutes after leaving Jane's group did I catch up with Chris' group (Chris is Jane's husband), which had Mr. Garlic (surprise, surprise =). I darted out ahead of them, too, maintaining 20+mph up from SSS to Rte. 28--my strongest finish there yet!

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200
Distance: 29.09mi
Saddle Time: 1h35m46s
Actual Time: 1h40m
Start Time: 6:05PM
End Time: 7:45PM
Start Outside Temp: felt like low 60°'s
End Outside Temp: no change
Max Speed: 33.3mph (pushing it down the hill just past the roller-hockey rink)
Avg Speed (saddle): 18.2mph!!! (I should probably stop being surprised at this, now. I'm fast--get used to it =)
Avg Speed (actual): 17.5mph

Afterwards, we went to this new place in Ashburn called the "Village Grill"--basically a sports restaurant with 20 TVs and 2 big-screens, serving up pretty good food.

---

I think, really, my ideal riding-weight is about 170lbs. It's possibly due to muscle mass, though I'm not entirely sure, since I haven't been monitoring my diet all that well. But I can definitely say that I wasn't averaging 18+mph back when I was 160, but then that could also be due to all the training...Dunno!

And I can say that doing something physically strenuous, but low-impact and repetitive (i.e. cycling) and spending time with friends is a great stress reliever. Much better than going to the range, I'll tell you what.

Recovery Ride

Chia and Nancy have become my official "Recovery Team", riding with me on recovery rides (well, the two I've done since Chia got his bike).

We were supposed to ride 41 miles around Catlett, VA, but A) I honestly think Chia and Nancy will need a lot more saddle time before they can do 41 miles and not die and B) even though we scheduled this ride for this weekend, we forgot to let the weather know of our plans, and it was yucky outside when the ride was called off at 7AM. Hilarity ensued when I called around, desperate for Nancy's number, since I didn't know Chia's home phone and he wasn't picking up on his cell. Luckily, Hunley had her number, and she was able to call Chia at home in time.

Interestingly enough, this ride was planned by a bunch of people I met back in February...

So, Chia and Nancy decided to ride on our own on the W&OD--first, we met up at W&OD/Rte.28, but The Yuck was there (kinda like "The Nothing" from The Never Ending Story), so we regrouped at W&OD/Vienna Community Center, where it was dry and not-drizzling. We hopped on and made it to the Arlington-end of the W&OD in a little under an hour (I may sound like I'm bragging, but I'll bet I could've made it in half that time if I were riding alone...of course, it would've been more mentally challenging if I was riding alone). After stopping, taking pictures, and refueling, we began the arduous trek back up to the VCC--it was easy going down to Arlington, not so much going back.
Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 22.67mi
Saddle Time: 1h43m07s
Actual Time: 2h
Start Time: 10:00AM
End Time: 12:00PM
Start Outside Temp: around 60°F
End Outside Temp: not much warmer
Max Speed: 29.7 (bombing it down from I-66 to I-495)
Avg Speed (saddle): 13.2mph
Avg Speed (actual): 11.3mph

Afterwards, we went to Amphora, where I learned first-hand how bad their burgers are. Breakfast and desserts from now on. In-between foods, not so much.

TNT Training Ride: Berryville

Warm today. Noel and Josh and I quickly joined up and conquered the rolling hills and sometimes-steep climbs. A Metric century (100km). I wasn't sure if I'd need my 1500, with its triple, but I made the right decision as our speed dropped to 6mph on some of the climbs. Oof.

The dogs came out to play this time, too--I was ready for the first one. A "BACK OFF!!" yell didn't work, so I sprayed it with water. That didn't really work, either, but it broke off its pursuit, probably because it was tired of running. The second two...well, they seemed to just want to run, and the "BACK OFF!!" yell didn't work there, either. I suppose I don't look authoritative enough in my superhero costume, riding a bicycle.

A happy consequence of the big climbs were the awesome descents: I hit 41.5mph on the first, and 43.5 on the second! Holy smokes!

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 66.15 miles
Saddle Time: 3h55m01s
Actual Time: 4h15m (SAG stops)
Start Time: 8:15AM
End Time: 12:30PM
Start Outside Temp: WARM
End Outside Temp: HOT
Max Speed: 43.5mph!!!
Avg Speed (saddle): 16.9mph
Avg Speed (actual): 15.6mph

Wednesday Buddy Ride

Forgot my computer, so I can only guess at my statistics, other than those supplied by Chuck's way-off GPS computer. I do know we went out to SSS, then a mile further, and then turned back, and I know that SSS is a 29-mile round trip, so we probably went 31 miles today.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200
Distance: 31mi (guesstimate)
Saddle Time: 1h41m (from Chuck's computer)
Actual Time: 1h45m
Start Time: 6:10PM
End Time: 7:55PM
Start Outside Temp: WARM
End Outside Temp: WARM
Max Speed: ???
Avg Speed (saddle): 18.4mph!!!
Avg Speed (actual): 17.7mph

Afterwards, we went to the Vienna Inn and I filled up on Chilidogs. Mmm, salty. Next time, two will be enough.

Tuesday Buddy Ride

Got to the place, met up with the guy I was giving a ride home--his rear tube had leaked and he was elbows-deep into learning how to change an innertube...but his method was flawed: he was attempting to change it with the rear wheel still on the bike. Much easier to take the wheel off and manipulate the tire and tube, separate from the confines of an upturned bike.

So I took over and we had the new tire installed and inflated pretty quickly. Then he and I started riding to catch up with the rest of the group, who had decided to go on ahead--and man, were we flying! We were averaging 19.8mph on the way out! And this is just six weeks into his true training; he had a hybrid, sure, but it's nothing like a road bike. But he's a strong rider, for sure--he was keeping pace with me, without a cyclocomputer, and with a fully laden backpack.

So then we got to Leesburg...and his rear tire blew again! Not just "went flat", but we actually heard the PSSSSSSSHHHHHHH of his tube popping. Turns out that his rear tire actually had a hole that went through the threads. Lacking a spare tire (not just tube), I got to boot a tire with a dollar bill for the first time today. The idea is this: a modern bike tire is made of several layers of threads, encased in rubber. The threads are what give the tire its strength, both to resist the imperfections in the road surface and to contain the inner-tube. When the threads are severed, as in what happened here, the tube will expand into the weak spot and weaken and eventually rupture there. When a hole occurs, and no spare tire is available, it can be reinforced with something fiberous like a strip of duct-tape or...a dollar bill. This operation is called "booting" the tire.

So we replaced the tube, booted the tire, and turned back, intending to ride a little slower...except we didn't: we still booked it all the way back.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200
Distance: 22.47mi
Saddle Time: 1h13m59s
Actual Time: 1h30m
Start Time: 6:10PM
End Time: 7:40PM
Start Outside Temp: COMFORTABLE
End Outside Temp: COMFORTABLE
Max Speed: 27.5mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 18.2mph!!!
Avg Speed (actual): 15.0mph

Afterward, Roger (the guy I was giving a ride home), Jane, Chris, and I went to Fuddruckers in Ashburn and had dinner: I was good and ordered a 1/3lb burger and a light beer, and did my usual salad-trick. I inhaled the food, and still felt a little hungry after finishing my food, but after a few minutes it all settled and I felt good.

I just weighed myself now, however, and I discovered that I'm at 173lbs. Maybe ~170 is my fighting weight, because today (and last week) I was flying, despite knowing how badly I ate over the weekend. Maybe. But I'd still like to be this fast and at 165lbs again...

Huckleberry II

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 12.07mi
Saddle Time: 49m15s
Actual Time: 55m
Start Time: 9:00AM
End Time: 9:55AM
Start Outside Temp: COOL
End Outside Temp: COOL
Max Speed: 27.5mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 14.7mph
Avg Speed (actual): 13.2mph

Huckleberry + Campus

Chia and I got to the 'Burg at about 2:30, got changed and got onto the Huckleberry Trail and rode from Blacksburg to Christiansburg, met up with Jacob at Jimmy John's, ate a Vito, and rode back...and then added a loop around the Drillfield, stopping at the memorial.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 17.13mi
Saddle time: 1h21m34s
Actual time: 1h45m
Start time: 3:00PM
End time: 4:45PM
Start Outside Temp: WARM
End Outside Temp: STILL WARM
Max Speed: 36.3mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 12.6mph
Avg Speed (actual): 9.8mph

Good times! Go Hokies!

Wednesday Buddy Ride

Got to the parking lot to see Jeff already pulled in, wearing his VT Jersey--sweet! He said he was wearing it for this special day--and then I remembered that it was April 16th, one whole year after...it. Greg, Greg's Wife, Chuck, and a chick named "Erica" joined us shortly thereafter, and we started out West from Vienna.

We quickly divided into "A" and "B" groups, with Jeff, Chuck, and me in the "A" group. The three of us practically flew out to Smith's Switch Station in Ashburn, all the while taking turns pulling, sorta like a real paceline. With three people.

When we got back to Reston, we were joined by two other riders--one wearing all red and on a road-bike with the usual drop-bars, and the other wearing a white t-shirt and riding a time-trial bike (aero-bars w/ bar-end shifters, brake-levers on the wing-bullhorns, bottles mounted to the seat-post). These guys were fast, and on the Stretch of Suck riding up to Vienna, I was passed by both of them. Granted, I was only going about 17mph at that time, but still. When I was passed by the TT bike, I decided that I was going to keep up with him as best I could. When I looked down, I saw that the guy was holding a 19.5mph average up that stretch--incredible! The best I could do, alone, is usually 17mph (or 18mph if I'm with Fred, who is also pretty fast). Dang!

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 28.33mi
Saddle Time: 1h33m09s
Actual Time: 1h35m
Start Time: 6:15PM
End Time: 7:50PM
Start Outside Temp: ???
End Outside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 33.7mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 18.3mph!!!
Avg Speed (actual): 17.9mph

I also saw/noticed a lot more VT jerseys and shirts out on the trail today...maybe because it was today. I even saluted another rider who was wearing the same jersey I had on.

I'm also quite happy to note that I've definitely become a stronger rider--when I was just starting out, way back in late August/early September, I could manage just 13mph through the Stretch of Suck. Now I can regularly do 17mph, and tonight I topped out at 19mph. The Stretch of Suck, by the way, is a 2-mile stretch of a "false-flat"--it looks flat but it's really a mild incline, which makes it feel far harder than it looks. And granted, the 19mph was because I was drafting, but it sure feels sweet to see those numbers!

Tuesday Buddy Ride

got outta work a little late, and there apparently was an accident on I-495 and/or I-66, so I couldn't join the Ashburn buddy ride like I planned, so I did the Vienna ride with Chuck and Dave and...gosh, I can't remember their names, but it wasn't my normal crew. We rode out to Sterling Blvd. and back.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 21.55mi
Saddle Time: 1h21m02s
Actual Time: 1h25m
Start Time: 5:55PM
End Time: 7:20PM
Start Outside Temp: 55°F
End OUtside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 32.3mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 15.9mph
Avg Speed (actual): 15.2mph

Afterwards, we bonded over chilidogs at the Vienna Inn. I think Dave is a Leukemia survivor--at least, he said he had his quarterly checkup the next day, which is why he wasn't drinking any beer.

Buddy/Recovery Ride

After Poolesville and then the soccer game that same evening, I was in desperate need of a recovery ride to ease my body into its resting state. So I had Chia and Nancy and my brother meet me at W&OD/Rte.28 and we rode out to Lawson Rd. in Leesburg and back.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200 (my 1500 was crusty-muddy from riding it all week through wet and dry)
Distance: 18.04mi
Saddle Time: 1h14m22s
Actual Time: 1h20m
Start Time: 8:55AM
End Time: 10:15AM
Start Outside Temp: 54°F
End Outside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 29.4mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 14.5mph
Avg Speed (actual): 13.5mph

TNT Training Ride: Poolesville, MD

Ugh. With only 3 hours of sleep, getting up was hard, and it definitely affected how I felt when I rode--more sleep would be better. Especially with the hills--the first 26 miles were rolling hills (many were the same rolling hills we did in Germantown, since Germantown and Poolesville are so close that they're practically the same area).

First SAG stop, which was on a relatively flat stretch of road. So I was feeling good at that point--as long as the road stayed like that, I would've been OK for the rest of the ride.

Alas.

The next section was appropriately named "The Wall", which was nothing but a steep climb at least three miles long (I may be wrong about the distance, but it definitely felt that long). And we were going an average of 8 miles-per-hour up it. Ugh. It was actually worse than climbing Sugarloaf Mountain--at least we knew that there had to be a summit. On The Wall, I was actually getting angry and shouting "IT JUST DOESN'T STOP!!!"

Then we climbed Sugarloaf, and met up with the ride's Honored Teammate, who is currently going through chemotherapy and just turned 18. We had cake.

The descent was fun, riding my brakes the whole way down was pretty cool.

And then more hills--Chuck and I were groaning every time we crested a hill and saw the next climb on the other side, but I think we were leaning on each other for support by then. Together, we conquered the last of the hills and rode into town tired but strong and victorious.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 55.56mi
Saddle Time: 3h26m31s
Actual Time: 4h
Start Time: 8:45AM
End Time: 12:45PM
Start Outside Temp: 60°F
End Outside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 38.00mph (A NEW PERSONAL RECORD!)
Avg Speed (saddle): 16.1mph
Avg Speed (actual): 13.9mph

Just having someone else with you, suffering the same gruelling climb up one side and sharing the same exhiliarating bomb down the other side is enough to pull/push you, mentally, through the worst. And that's really what all this is about--it isn't about riding a bike around a lake or riding up and down mountains, it's about supporting your teammates, whether they're on the bike next to yours or they're lying in the hospital bed recovering from the life-saving operation that your fundraising paid for.

Wednesday Buddy Ride

One happy consequence of going to work early is that I get done early, and then I can get some extra miles--that's just what happened today. I met up with Jeff and his wife Mary Anne at about 5PM at the Vienna Caboose, and rode out with them to Smith's Switch Station, then turned back, picked up Fred and Chuck, turned around again, rode out to Rte. 28, and then booked-it back to the Caboose. It was quite warm after riding for a few minutes--I was in my summer short-sleeves and shorts, and didn't feel that cold.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 32.14mi
Saddle Time: 2h10m33s
Actual Time: 2h20m
Start Time: 5:00PM
End Time: 7:20PM
Start Outside Temp: 64°F
End Outside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 33.9mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 14.8mph
Avg Speed (actual): 13.8mph

Flipping the middle-chainring magically cleared up all of my shifting issues. Who'd'a'thunk it.

Tuesday Buddy Ride, Ah HA!

got to work ass-butt early, left 8 hours later, made it to the start-point well ahead of schedule...which was good, because I needed to go to the bathroom, so I jumped on the trail, rode the mile-point-five out to Smith's Switch Station with its portajohns, and then rode back just in-time to start riding with the rest of the group. There were seven of us, turned into eight when Mr. Garlic joined us.

I meant not to go fast, since I completely wiped myself out over the weekend and didn't do any sort of recovery...but the group kept egging me on to go faster, so I ended up practically gunning it all the way out and back.

After I was done with the main ride, I went back out and picked up my brother, who was flagging it back, which probably dropped my average speed down a bit...

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 27.26mi
Saddle Time: 1h40m29s
Actual Time: 1h50m
Start Time: 5:40PM
End Time: 7:30PM
Start Outside Temp: 50°F
End Outside Temp: ???
Max Speed: 30.2mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 16.3mph
Avg Speed (actual): 14.9mph

Afterward, we loaded both my and my brother's bikes into the car and started out for dinner--not 10 seconds after starting the car and starting to back out, I hear this loud hissing from behind me--my rear tire had finally given up the ghost, after nearly 2500 miles. After dinner I examined it and found a hole I had noticed before--apparently it had gotten worse. Oh well! I bought those new tires from Performance just in time! I swapped out the back...and then swapped out the front, too, since the old tires were 25C and the new ones are narrower 23C, and a 25C on the front and a 23C on the back just looks funny. Even if it's only a difference of 2mm, I can still tell. Oh well--now the black 25C tire on the front of the old Trek 420 has a black 25C to match on the back (both are Bontrager, even) and replace the even-funnier-looking yellow-striped 20C that was on the back before.

My "Ah HA!" moment came after I replaced the FD cable in an attempt to fix my shifting problems in the crankset--going from granny to middle ring, the chain wasn't catching, and I'd have to shift up to the big ring and then back down to get to the middle ring. Turns out, upon closer inspection after figuring out that changing the cable didn't fix things, that the last time I had broken down the drivetrain, I had installed the middle ring the wrong way, leaving the ramps and hooks that catch the chain and pull it up when shifting from small to middle ring on the wrong side of the ring, between the middle and big ring where they do no-good. "Ah HA!" I exclaimed, and fixed it--no more shifting problems =)

============================================
Team In Training - Tahoe '08
Want to donate or help? Simply go to:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/kentridestahoe
============================================

TNT Training Ride Option 1 (W&OD)

W&OD west to Purcellville, turned off North to Hillsboro, ate, turned back. Some good hills out there, and look off in the distance and there's the mountains. Cool stuff, and it was a wonderful day to ride. Our original ride was moved to Sunday due to the forecasted inclement weather (which, interestingly, was also moved to Sunday)--we got lucky with the nice weather. This ride was the first of two options--the other option was to ride the postponed ride on Sunday.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 5200
Distance: 53.3mi
Saddle Time: 3h33m11s
Actual Time: 3h45m
Start Time: 8:45PM
End Time: 12:30PM
Start Outside Temp: ??? (maybe 45°F)
End Outside Temp: ??? (felt like it warmed up to 60°F)
Max Speed: 32.2mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 15.0mph
Avg Speed (actual): 14.2mph

============================================
Team In Training - Tahoe '08
Want to donate or help? Simply go to:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntnca04/kentridestahoe
============================================

Wednesday Buddy Ride

I'm of two minds: it's "convenient" that I now work so close to the starting point of my Wednesday Buddy Rides in Vienna, but unfortunately traffic getting out of Tyson's Corner sucks so much that it renders any distance advantage moot.

Anyways...'Robert' and I rode out to Sterling Blvd. while the slower riders rode out somewhere not as far, and then we turned around and went back, discussing cycling technique.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 21.54mi
Saddle Time: 1h28m41s
Actual Time: 1h30m
Start Time: 6:00PM
End Time: 7:30PM
Start Outside Temp: 47°F
End Outside Temp: 45°F
Max Speed: 31.3mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 14.6mph
Avg Speed (actual): 14.4mph

Tuesday Buddy Ride

Eff traffic. I left work early, got home early, got on the road early...and got stuck in traffic, and wound up getting to W&OD/Rte.28 5 minutes late. Effing traffic. Never fails.

So I gunned it and caught up to (and passed) my teammates in short order. I figured that I should make up for not having been on a bike in nearly a week, so I would go further faster--I did just that, averaging 18-mph over 25 miles.

Statistics:
Bike: Trek 1500
Distance: 25.26mi
Saddle Time: 1h23m49s
Actual Time: 1h25m
Start Time: 6:05PM
End Time: 7:30PM
Start Outside Temp: 68°F
End Outside Temp: 68°F
Max Speed: 29.3mph
Avg Speed (saddle): 18.1mph
Avg Speed (actual): 17.8mph

Afterwards, we went to Bertucci's and I actually exercised restraint by getting just a half-salad and a cup of soup.