blog by: Dale

February 27, 2008

Wet and Windy...wimpout

The turnout for Hutch's Wet and Windy 50 ride last Sunday was a wimpy 5 riders. The thin blanket of snow evidently was discouraging. I could boast of how core I was for showing, but I live a few miles out of town in the rain/snow shadow of the Sisters, there was not snow at my house. I did not consider that the ride would be canceled.

It was me, Cat 2, 19 year old phenom Carson Miller, Hutches stalwart Rick Johnson and a couple of guys from the Webcyclery team. For the first few miles we had to avoid snow on the road and spray from the wheels ahead. It soon dried up and only sprinkled infrequently. It was nothing like the sufferfest that the Tour of California riders endured a couple of days before.

It's awesome to be a Cat 2 at 19 years old. It takes years to build endurance for cycling. All those capillaries growing into the bike legs. I have seemed to notice that a good 50 year old rider will usually out ride a kid of Carson's age. We all sat on Carson's wheel. Even Rick who assumes the job of pulling in just about every ride and race he does got in line after awhile. This is how group rides stay together, the strong stay up front. This is fundamental but there are obviously a lot of riders who don't get it. Cyclists in this town of less than race quality seem to have a hard time organizing themselves.

I got my first real riding in the week before. It finally warmed and I got 120 miles in. I had gained 10 lbs. over the winter and I lost it all that week! With the start of some fitness I was ready to sit in with some good riders and push my aerobic limit. As we turned on to Powell Butte Hwy we did a few miles where my heart rate was pumping at 170. Just what I needed. We averaged almost 20 mph for the ride. A very decent Wet and Windy, you all blew it staying home!

tags: Rides | permalink |

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