A Fine Effort

Tuesday was World Car-Free Day, so I made the most of it and remained car free for the course of the day. Amidst busy times I commuted both Monday on the SSFrankenTrek and Tuesday on the LHT. Tuesday I stretched my commute home to give myself my first 30m day in quite a while. Boy, the riding has dropped off since school started. Once I go home that day, the fam was chomping at the bit to eat early, so I jumped back on the LHT and meet them at Impellizerri's. Fact is, I didn't feel at my best at the start of the week; 'L' was home from school with a virus so maybe it was messing with my mojo too. Wednesday's meetings and Thursday's after-school programs made menace with my commute, so no riding. In fact, I didn't ride Friday either. I'll just the "rain" excuse for that day. All three days give me a sense of healthy respect for those more consistent commuters. Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices. Yesterday should've brought a little time, but after 'L's 2 soccer games and 'Z's 1 game (all losses. great to be in our household), instead of riding I took a nap, a refreshing nap, and that sent me off to mom's for a very good supper combined with some *terrible* football games. Go Cats!! Straight to Basketball season!!

All of this brings me to today's little a.m. hammerfest, courtesy of LithoDale. His schedule is every bit as crimped as mine, maybe more, but he's intent on becoming a Rapha cycling beast, and for that I applaud him. The plan was to head out from 5.30-7.30, before soccer and parenting and life. Last night's heavy rain concerned us a bit, but both answered the bell this a.m., with me wearing a heartrate monitor for a change. I don't usually ride hard enough to worry about it, but I knew Mr.LongFemurs would take me at a nice uncomfy clip. Last night I prepared the Blueridge because I figured fenders might help with the rain. I charged the Niterider and off I went, only to feel a very slight "thump thump thump" on the way to Atherton, very slight. Survey said broken spoke, so once we found me we quickly returned to the house for another bike. It's nice to have those, you know. I chose the RB-1, rain be damned, changed the light and off we went, only to find that the spd cleat combo for the RB-1 didn't work, although the spds on the Sidis *do* work. GGgrrrrr, and all this happening at 5.30a.m. I offered to bail so LD could get his ride in, but he encouraged me to look for another option, and so to the Crosscheck I went if only b/c it was the only bike left with the right cleat combo. Mind you, the Crosscheck is shod with Ritchey SpeedMax tires, not the best combo for a fastish road ride with LD. OK. Breathe in. Ride.

From there our route involved Cherokee, Lexington, and River Rd, with me rolling in the big ring. Once we climbed up and out of Glenview, I had to drop to the small ring and find something more reasonable. B/C LD is a glutton for miles, we went across Chenoweth and used Mockingbird Valley to link back to the river area on Mellwood and it was here that I made my fatal mistake. LD's rear tire looked inviting for a good drag. Unfortunately, LD, having seen me in the slipstream, ramped it up and we rode a reasonable pace down Mellwood, one that by our turn onto Story, would be my downfall. I was cooked. We went up to Baxter and toward home, but I had nothing left. LD carved off, I'm sure, for some last-minute hammering but I dawdled back up B'town and home, all the while feeling it.

Neither of us had a computer, but the distance on gmap combined with the time on my HRM gave us an avg in the mid-15s, with that being certainly higher until that Mellwood stretch. I sometimes dread LD rides beforehand b/c I know I don't have the pace or fitness for hard riding, but afterwards I'm usually satisfied with the effort. I might even venture out later for a spin on the QB. It's been calling me. Happy roads, tailwinds and peace.