Coming Around

My fitness is starting to come around.    This weekend I rode with the Bike Masters crew Saturday morning.  About 30 - 40 guys and one gal showed up for a ride to Two Rivers State park. 

I felt good all morning, although I blew myself up a couple times.  One time was up a long hill, I was up front pushing the pace then a fellow cat 3 came flying by me... I chased him of course.  I felt like I was catching him, but was done after about 2 minutes.  Another time I was in the back of the pack and some guys got off the front so I tried to bridge.  I went hard, but again I was gassed after a few minutes. 

So, knowing that I had good speed but only a few minutes to use it, I was going to try to win a sprint to the "Stop Head" sign just North of Maple by Waterloo.  I stayed in the comfort of the group for the miles up to the sign.  When the group was about 4 minutes from the sign I moved up on the left side.  It was still too early to start the sprint.  I had pick out a point that I would go and was just waiting.  Fortunatly, somebody right in front of me went for it first.  He was strong but I was right in his slip stream.  I had just enough left to take him for the sprint. 

I had another promising effort up a long hill.  I don't know the actual time it took to climb but it seemed like about 6+ minutes.  I was able to keep a sustained maximal effort most of the way.  Much of this effort was about 7 beats below my HRmax.  I wish that I didn't have to work so hard but it was good to see that I could maintain that type of effort

Sunday, I did a slow 3hr endurance ride. It was nice to do an "under-reaching" ride.  I had about an hour in zone 2 and the rest in zone 1.  Nice and easy.

I have about another 10days of training until the Souix Falls race.  I think I will be ok.  I think I will be just hanging on but that is fun too.  More 2 day training blocks... a hard day followed by an moderate day.