Sunday, August 27, 2006
Inching up that bike mileage....
I'm relaxing after a 70-mile bike ride... stats: 70.86 miles, moving time 4:46, total time 4:50 (read: almost NO stopping!!), average 14.8mph. My average speed has increased by about 1.5mph over the summer. I'm looking forward to some faster times on flat roads at ChesapeakeMan and IMFL. I did a favorite 20-mile loop twice and then my favorite 30-mile out-and-back. My lower back and my lateral quads hurt towards the end. After a plate of food and 3 aspirins, I'm feeling a lot better. It was a good ride. A really good ride. But I was glad not to have another 42 miles followed by a marathon.... thought lot about what Commodore said about quitting. I think that essay is going to keep me going a lot in the next 10 weeks. Even though I'm nowhere near quitting anymore, I still think about it, think about taking the shortcut home, wonder just like last year whether I'm up to this venture. Just because I did it last year doesn't mean I'm guaranteed to make it this year. But I will not quit. Not me.
Today's ride finally took me out of Colorado into Kansas, in my fantasy "Tour d'Amerique." For folks unfamiliar with this illusion, I'm mapping my bike mileage as a trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic, starting in Oregon, went south for awhile, and stumbled upon U.S. Route 50, which goes uninterrupted all the way to Ocean City, MD. Click on the link to see my map so far!Someday I hope to actually do this trip. Not necessarily Rte. 50, but definitely from sea to sea. Judging by how straight the road has become, it's flatland, which is no doubt a distinct relief -- maybe I can start making better time now :-)
Actually 70 miles is not my longest ride so far in this training season. About a month ago I did 87, but bonked badly with about 20 miles to go, which I figured out was from sodium depletion. I'd underestimted how hot it was going to get and how hard I was working. It took me a couple of weeks to bounce back (except I didn't bounce, I kind of climbed hand over hand) and during that period of fatigue and slow recovery, I really did think about quitting; in fact told my husband I thought I'd stop training for IMFL, and then I burst into tears.
But that was then, and this is now. I'm feeling incredibly better, due largely to getting more rest days, specifically every other day. Not the usual standard, but I'm going longer and stronger on my training days, so it's working better in the long run.
Today's ride finally took me out of Colorado into Kansas, in my fantasy "Tour d'Amerique." For folks unfamiliar with this illusion, I'm mapping my bike mileage as a trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic, starting in Oregon, went south for awhile, and stumbled upon U.S. Route 50, which goes uninterrupted all the way to Ocean City, MD. Click on the link to see my map so far!Someday I hope to actually do this trip. Not necessarily Rte. 50, but definitely from sea to sea. Judging by how straight the road has become, it's flatland, which is no doubt a distinct relief -- maybe I can start making better time now :-)
Actually 70 miles is not my longest ride so far in this training season. About a month ago I did 87, but bonked badly with about 20 miles to go, which I figured out was from sodium depletion. I'd underestimted how hot it was going to get and how hard I was working. It took me a couple of weeks to bounce back (except I didn't bounce, I kind of climbed hand over hand) and during that period of fatigue and slow recovery, I really did think about quitting; in fact told my husband I thought I'd stop training for IMFL, and then I burst into tears.
But that was then, and this is now. I'm feeling incredibly better, due largely to getting more rest days, specifically every other day. Not the usual standard, but I'm going longer and stronger on my training days, so it's working better in the long run.
