| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
62.22 miles
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Altitude Gain:
2,463 ft
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Avg Speed:
20.94 mph
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Route:
Rapid River Fondo
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 155 bpm
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Avg HR: 135 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: custom built Cipollini RB800 Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Overcast 76 F S wind @ 8 mph |
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Had a short drive from Lake George, NY to Warrenton, NY for a metric century. Had another poor night's recovery with really no resting heart rate and another low body battery reading of twenty-nine percent. At least that was better than last week. I'm beginning to think that the long drives are having more effect on my recovery than the riding though the previous two days were pretty hard efforts. Original plan was to tour this course that starts on the southeastern edge of the Adirondack Park. Course was rather flat compared to the last few rides I've done with just a pair of camelback climbs about twenty-five miles into the ride and only having twenty-five hundred feet of climbing total. The course had a lollypop configuration with twenty-odd miles of gradual uphill grade to the mountain loop then descending back to Warrenton on the same road we came up. Wind turned out to be a big factor today by providing an eight to fourteen mile an hour headwind on the return trip. Had one teammate today as Bob had made the trip. Didn't really have any goal today other to enjoy the day. Ride had three course lengths with a mass start with all the groups following the same course for several miles. There were probably one hundred riders milling around the start, but I think most had registered for the mid length forty-eight-mile course that bypassed the two big climbs. Ride started out fast once we got out of town and into the countryside. It was pretty much one long paceline for the first twenty miles holding speeds in the mid-twenties. Legs felt pretty good and took a good deal of pulls for the first ten miles then faded to the back of the line for a bit. Bob pretty much stayed near the front and was also taking long pulls. Noticed a couple of racers from a local club that I believe was out of Saratoga Spring were also taking strong pulls. There were at least thirty riders in the long single file paceline, and it took an effort to get back to the front. We had one section of bad road around a lake that had the pavement removed where I assume they had put drainage culverts in. I didn't enjoy that section very much as it had a least a dozen areas to be crossed in various conditions. We lost over half the front group right before the climbs as the forty-eight milers sheared off. As soon as we hit the bottom of the first climb Bob accelerated up it. He opened up a good gap and was pursued by one of the local racers in the group. I got on the racers wheel and was doing fairly well until my right shifting lever loosened up on the handlebars. I usually climb out of the saddle on the drops so I could see that this would be a problem. I got over the steep section of the climb still on the wheel of the racer and figured no problem as I could sit down as the grade slackened. Alas it didn't work as I ran out of leg and the other guy pulled away. I was quickly caught and passed by another three riders in a group that I was able to finish the climb with. The six of us reformed into the final front group on the short downhill before the second climb. I was in second position on the start of the second climb and made an acceleration past the front guy trying to limit my losses on the next steep section that was oncoming. As soon as I hit the steep section, I was passed by Bob who was moving fast- quickly opening a gap. I had to climb out of the saddle holding the drops instead of the hoods and wasn't very comfortable. A second tall rider in yellow passed be before I got over the steep section but was able to catch and pass him before the top of the climb. Bob went over the top with a good gap and the yellow clad rider and I had a good gap over the other three riders. The yellow guy got on my wheel on the downhill and we made a hard fast descent. Bob was already out of sight. We worked together for three or four miles and occasionally would glimpse Bob on some of the straight sections. I dropped the yellow rider on one of short climbs and didn't wait for him as I went over the top wanted to hold the pace as long as I could. Next ten or eleven miles was pedal mashing and frothing at the mouth as I tried to catch up with Bob and stay ahead of the group behind. Shifting with a loose lever was a pain, but at least I could still shift. I would gain a little then lose it again on the small climbs. Thought I might be able to catch up as was keeping a good twenty mile an hour pace into a headwind and the course was mostly downgrade on the return trip where my extra weight might actually benefit me. Started to get glimpses of the pursuing group and they continued to gain on me while the distance to Bob was pretty much static. Finally gave in and sat up and consumed some goo while awaiting my inevitable capture. Got caught by a group of four and hopped into the draft as they went by. Pretty much stayed off the back as they reeled Bob in as didn't want to help chase a teammate. I don't think I was very popular but that's just how it works. My saddlebag came loose and was hanging by one strap, and I had to slow to remove it and put it inside my jersey. I had to chase for a half mile or so to get back on to the group. The gap to Bob was closing and I pulled through the line a couple times when it was apparent he was going to be caught. We lost the rider in yellow as he had to stop for water. Bob ended up holding everyone off for twenty-five miles while I only held them off for fifteen. The five of us still had nearly ten miles to go. Legs felt good and I was taking some strong pulls but really wasn't trying to open a gap and more of just keeping the speed high to keep anyone else form attacking. It didn't appear though that anyone had much energy left. I opened up a gap on the final small climb less than a mile from the finish but there wasn't any response, so I slowed over the top and we reformed. Legs felt good and I actually was ready for a sprint finish but no one else seemed interested so just finished off the ride. Ended up finishing in under three hours which was a good day for me. Hopefully the long solo effort will benefit my time trialing. Climbing wasn't really that great today, but it was good enough to keep me in the front group. Did a lot more work than I planned on but had a good result.
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