Monday, July 7, 2008

fastest time.




This morning I got out on the commute and thought I would rip it up and see what happened. Saturday I was able to hang with the Brumbys until a bit up 9 mile hill heading up the Beeline highway and then I was promptly dropped with a heartrate that was through the roof. Another guy got dropped to with me. Either that or he was taking pity on me. Either way I had a riding buddy for the rest of the ride mostly. We cruised along up the hill with him mostly pulling and I mostly sucking up the draft on his rear wheel. I did take a turn now and then but I have to tell you, I started the day with sore legs from running with Josh on my back for part of the 4th of July 5k, and to make matters worse I had blown up trying to keep up with these yahoos. Of course it is my goal to hold on to them one of these days, and after two weeks, I believe it seems to be the hills that are the problem. I hang with them until we get to a hill and then I get dropped. The logical conclusion is weight. Weight is the number one factor to slowing on the hills so I figure I will work on strength but continue the 500 calorie shortages each day.


On a brighter note, all of this working to keep up has in fact made me faster. I pushed it all the way into work today and by the time I got in I had a time of one hour and eleven minutes. This is two minutes off of my best time on my recumbent but is the fastest time I have achieved on my upright. I averaged 20.5 mph which means I maintained speeds of 22-24 most of the way in. Not an easy task with traffic and stop lights slowing you down let me assure you! Anyway, seeing as I think I had a tailwind when I set the record with the recumbent this may in fact be the fastest I have ridden in. It is in fact the fastest on this bike though. I am looking forward to attacking the Alpine loop up by Provo Utah next week, and possibly even riding the Nebo loop just to get my fill of some nice alpine climbing and also to prepare me for the 200k I am riding in August up in Showlow to the New Mexico border and back.

1 comment:

Bruce's Bike Blog said...

Paul Laytona 500

Allez! Allez! Allez!