Jefferson Cup preride

Last year I really wanted to race the Jefferson Cup, but a bum alternator kept me busy instead. Every year the limit for each category gets filled quickly, and people get on a wait list to fill in for the "no shows". "Your welcome" whoever took my place.
This year I decided early not to race until April. The Snowball Crits have always just been a big frustration, not to mention the nasty weather. Getting lapped by the pack in the cold rain is no fun! Even when the weather was beautiful for both of this years Snowballs, I went for long training rides instead. The plan is working so far, my fitness is starting to come around with more intensity every week.

A good way to get faster is to ride with guys faster than yourself. So when Rick invited me to go with him, Steve, and Linda to preride the Jeff Cup, I jumped on. It was a good day. My first ride this year with no base layer, and no arm or leg warmers. The course was fun, a 11 mile loop that is going either up or down, but never flat. After 4 laps, I was done. Rick and Steve dropped me on the 4th and did a fifth. The roads were tore up with potholes, hopefully they get filled before next weekend.
After we picnicked on the side of the road and watched the other riders go by. Steve did his usual naked in public ritual :
This was him scrambling to get his pants on as I ran for the camera. I've caught him before.http://evilgeniusbike.blogspot.com/2008/09/york-river.html You think he would learn his lesson! Thanks to Steve and Linda for the sandwich. It was good training, even if I'm not racing it this year. Looking forward to the Smithfield HAMmerfest!

Putting away the trainer...

So is this Daylight Saving Time, or did we just get off of it? Who cares! All I know is, I rode my bike today after work.
Gregory and I only had time for 23 miles before it was dark. That's okay, I left everything on the road. Know what I mean? You cyclist do. We were not very fast, but that didn't matter, it felt good to push it. First the warm up chat, side by side through the neighborhood. Then as we swing out on to Centerville Turnpike, the traffic causes you to get single file and pick up the tempo. The rush of your senses as your heart rate jumps and cars are passing. No wind in the lungs for conversation now. Turn on to a much less traveled country road, but the cat's out of the bag. The speed will not drop until we hit the 'hood again, or my body gives up. Time to settle in to the rhythm, pull then recover. Over and over. Not at all like intervals on a trainer, I thought as I tryed desperately to grab his wheel after my pull. I found a little protection from the cross wind and grabbed a quick hit off the bottle. The Sun was fading fast, the shadows on the road longer, the temperature dropping. Nothing like a trainer ride. The pace usually gets pushed on the last long straight road before we get into traffic again, this time would be no different. Greg goes by me saying something about a lead-out. He went by me so fast, the Doppler Effect made it hard to understand. So what else could I do, but turn myself inside out to catch him. Not like any ride on the trainer I ever had. Soon we are in cool down mode, and back on speaking terms. Just in time for the Sun to slip away. We roll into the driveway, with the satisfaction of the pain. "Good ride, lets do it again soon!" Never said that when getting off the trainer.