One More Time -- With Pain

Riding out to meet the Sunday Giro ride this morning I was figuring it would be a nice moderate Easter Sunday pace.

Not even close.

The group was significantly smaller than usual, but it didn't seem to matter much. The pace was fast both coming and going, and unlike yesterday, there was significant droppage. At one point we're flying down Chef Highway at 28-30 mph with maybe a dozen guys rotating at the front and the rest sitting on. I finally decide to drop back and take a break and look over to see Warren S. I haven't seen him on a group ride in a long time. Apparently he just finished doing Ironman Arizona. He's rolling along in the paceline without showing much discomfort, which wouldn't ordinarily be such a big deal except that he's had a couple of heart attacks so far and I think probably coronary bypass surgery. His cardiologist, Steve R., was also in the pack today. Sweet, eh? So after the turnaround I'm thinking "it's got to slow down now."

Wrong again.

By the time I sprint up the Seabrook Bridge near the end of the ride, my legs are toast. I'm hoping that old saying about "if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger" will prove to be correct! All I can say is that as far as I could tell, pretty much everyone was wasted by the time we finished. I rode home with Brett R. at like 16 mph and had to stand to get over the overpasses without falling over.

Right after I got home we had to drive up to Baton Rouge to visit the mother in law. I pretty much felt like a Presbyterian in a Synagogue the whole time. They wanted to take her out to the Zoo. Let's just say it was a long day. At least there's one silver lining. Thanks to Katrina, I don't have to stay up late tonight to do my taxes because we have all been granted an automatic extension! I wasn't going to take it, but I'm way too tired for math right now, even if TurboTax is looking over my shoulder.

So I'll leave you with a little video of Tim R from Saturday's Giro ride that I took with my el cheapo camera.