Re: Workouts - Saturday, July 21 - Evolution
Top-10 day of the year here in New England. Absolutely stunning. Except for the wind way up north. More on that in a bit.
Ella: By the bike, but know that if you're deciding between a bike in one price range and one in another, with the frugal side of you wanting the lower, you will more than likely eventually say, "****, should have bought the more expensive one."
Me...
Over dinner and drinks last night it occured to me I had a totally free Saturday with lots of chores around the house planned. Lot's of chores makes a certain boy tired. And that's when it hit me that I would wake up early and head up north to ride the Timberman bike course, possibly the only time I will be able to do it.
In the car with coffee in had by 5:45 am, I drove the 1:45 drive to Ellacoya State Park way up in New Hampster. At 7:50 am, I was rolling forward to begin the 56 mile route of the Timberman Half Iron bike course.
First 12 miles were up and down where you crawled up long hills with generous grades and zipped down the backsides for a fairly slow break.
From 12 to 28 miles, the turnaround, the course was long gradual rollers, but with a 15-25 mph wind at my back where it was so strong you felt NO wind at all because, well, you were traveling about the same speed as it, I cruised in big fear, often times in my top gear (52-11) for long periods of time. As much as I enjoyed the care-free hammer, I knew that inspite getting my average up to 21 mph after the hilly, slow first 12 miles, the real work was ahead.
From the turnaround at 28 on back to 44, pure **** was paid. The wind was so strong I had to ride in the kiddie chain ring up front about half the time. I tipped my head down and made myself as aero as aero would allow as I watched my average pace fall from near 21 all the way to near 19. If not for a sore bottom, created because of extra downward pressure on the saddle in attempts to get more aero and a bit more of a grind, I would have easily slipped into a zone and stayed there for duration, but with my saddle sores threatening to rip me apart, I had to keep shifting around.
Finally at mile 44 I turned away from the wind and gradual rollers that, with the wind, threated to keep my pace slow. Inspite more hills en route back to home base, my pace climbed to 20 even for a 56 mile round trip ride in 2:48.
Tough course.
Followed immediately by...
5 mile run 2+ miles up run course and back. Legs felt amazingly amazing. At the turnaround I hammered it back at near all-out. That was fun.
Still, tough course with the wind. Without the wind I'd say it's comparable to Mooseman, but with the wind, wow, that was tough. It was tougher riding back from 28 to 44 straight into the wind even though the road was otherwise favorable to riding with light gentle rolling graduals over a net incline. That stretch was much tougher than the hills, which can be a bear, especially if you're not strong on the hills. The hills are steep and long enough to make this course slow. And tough.
