Getting a Little Faster

Oversleeping on Monday morning is always a good sign, in a way, because it usually means I got in a lot of miles over the weekend. So when I finally awoke for the second time (the first time I managed only to turn off the alarm) and saw it was already too late to meet the group on the levee, I pulled the covers over my head and thought, "Oh well, I guess I'll do the Spinning class tonight." Later that evening, with the temperature starting to fall, I rode over to the Reily Center for the 6:30 Monday class, which is by far my favorite. Naturally, I pushed a bit too hard, and so when I rolled out of bed this morning I knew my legs would not be very happy.

The Tuesday group was big today. With the racing season rapidly approaching and the sunrise getting earlier and earlier, the chill in the air wasn't enough to keep many of the usual riders away. There was a good bit of tailwind on the way out today, and so I knew it would be a fast one. Indeed, the rides have been getting a little faster week by week lately. That's one of the things that makes February so hard. On the one hand, the rides are bigger and faster and the races are looming just over the horizon. On the other hand, the weather, and in my case work too, isn't always so inviting, and everybody is never quite on the same page fitness-wise. This morning it was in the 50s, but I went out dressed for the 40s because I knew it was the only way I was going to get myself out the door.

So anyway, I took one or two pulls as the pace ramped up and then dropped way back down the paceline, well past wherever the rotation was ending. I don't think they missed me up there because the pace certainly didn't slow down. I was kind of glad when Donald flatted at the Dip and I could take a little break. Of course, one reason I hadn't been up at the front pulling was that I knew we'd have more headwind and fewer riders for the return trip. I was right. The ride back to town was a bit harder and a couple of notches slower, even though I probably did more work coming back than I had going out.

Tonight I finally got the event permit for our 2-Person Time Trial submitted. This will be the race's fifth year. It's a fun race to do even though I often don't know who I'll be riding with, or even if I'll be riding at all, until the last minute. This is one of those races where I try to do three things at once. I've never been very good at that, but for a relatively uncomplicated event like a time trial it's at least possible.