Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/84682144
Attendees: Vince, Shannon, Todd, Adrian, Mitchell, Jaffe and me
I rode 193+ miles last week including an 86 mile solo ride on Saturday. I ran 6+ miles on Friday as well bringing me close to 200 total miles of training. My body felt like crap after the weekend, but I still managed to get my morning workouts in this week along with a solo TT lunch ride yesterday. Despite all of this, I still looked forward to riding with the team knowing full well I would be in for another pain sesh. I just didn't think it would come with some mad dogging too. HA HA.
When the guys took off from the corner today, Shannon had led us out and already had me panting midway up E. Peltason. With my left knee hurting as well, I just knew I was in for a long day. At that point, I realized that the only way I could keep up was to stay out of the rotation as much as I could get away with it. Now I could have been a jerk (which seems to be what was expected of me despite typically participating in the rotation normally) and pull to the front at the end of known segments, but I never contested a single one. I think I even called this out, but I guess that fell on deaf ears.
I did take a couple tiny pulls, but Todd, Vince and Jeremy definitely did the majority of the work today (Shannon opted to ride off the pack but close by). Trying to keep up was definitely still quite painful. Turtle Rock was when the group started to splinter where we lost Jaffe (in his brown bike shorts) and Adrian. Mitchell and I stayed with the others enough to watch Jeremy launch an attack to the top of Turtle Rock to go head-to-head with Todd. Todd, despite having led most of the way up, is always up for the challenge. Vince and I were just behind them, and managed to make it across Ridgeline all together.
The guys still kept the pace up going up Shady, and even sprinted toward the top, so I really had to push just to stay with them. On the descent, I kind of felt like they were trying to ditch me probably tiring of me just lurking in the back. This was substantiated when we got on the trail by the 405 when Vince just gave me that look and seemingly tried to block me from launching a sprint to the bridge. I got around him just to latch back on to Todd and Jeremy. When Jeremy had come off the front and Todd passed, I told Jeremy to get in front of me and got a disapproving head shake ultimately followed with a wave of the arm to pass. HA HA. I guess I better get up front and do some work, or these guys may lynch me at the Ridgeline stoplight post.
When we got to Ridgeline, it was cool to look back and see Shannon at the corner with us as we waited to cross and start the climb. Jeremy had started us off up the climb at first, and he and Todd took off when it first pitched up leaving the rest of us behind. I gave chase only to hope that they didn't get too far away from us, but I ran out of steam and Shannon passed me looking focused and keeping a steady pace. I was never able to catch any of them on the descent and was fortunate that they all got caught at the light on Bonita Canyon. Vince had rolled up and past me just before I got to the light.
Todd led us up Bonita Canyon at first, and I stayed with Shannon only until he opted to push up to the front and lead us toward Shady. I think I almost surrendered before the crest as I watched Vince stand up and start sprinting just to keep up with the rest of the guys. I didn't though as I'm sure that would have come with more verbal flogging.
I was trying to do more on Bonita Canyon mostly because we were close to the finish, but I never got held out for very long. Due to time constraints, Shannon, Vince and Jeremy ended up making a right on McArthur, but Todd and I went up Ford to include the Condo.
Since it was just Todd and I, I figured I may as well lead him up Ford and try to offer him a good lead out up Jamboree. I did what I could to keep up the pace, but Todd passed me just before the false flat stretch that led to Bison. He probably would have broken away from me on Bison, but the lights didn't work to his advantage.
Todd led us onto the 73 and I called out and passed just after to help us finish strong. Once again, my pace wasn't fast enough and Todd passed me just before we got to California. Boy I was glad the ride was done after that. A 22 mph pace for this route was just brutal. While I know the guys were probably sincerely "annoyed" with me not taking enough pulls, I know it's short-lived and only because they're caught up in the heat of the moment. That's how rolling with BAM is.
Thanks for the training, gents!
Attendees: Vince, Shannon, Todd, Adrian, Mitchell, Jaffe and me
I rode 193+ miles last week including an 86 mile solo ride on Saturday. I ran 6+ miles on Friday as well bringing me close to 200 total miles of training. My body felt like crap after the weekend, but I still managed to get my morning workouts in this week along with a solo TT lunch ride yesterday. Despite all of this, I still looked forward to riding with the team knowing full well I would be in for another pain sesh. I just didn't think it would come with some mad dogging too. HA HA.
When the guys took off from the corner today, Shannon had led us out and already had me panting midway up E. Peltason. With my left knee hurting as well, I just knew I was in for a long day. At that point, I realized that the only way I could keep up was to stay out of the rotation as much as I could get away with it. Now I could have been a jerk (which seems to be what was expected of me despite typically participating in the rotation normally) and pull to the front at the end of known segments, but I never contested a single one. I think I even called this out, but I guess that fell on deaf ears.
I did take a couple tiny pulls, but Todd, Vince and Jeremy definitely did the majority of the work today (Shannon opted to ride off the pack but close by). Trying to keep up was definitely still quite painful. Turtle Rock was when the group started to splinter where we lost Jaffe (in his brown bike shorts) and Adrian. Mitchell and I stayed with the others enough to watch Jeremy launch an attack to the top of Turtle Rock to go head-to-head with Todd. Todd, despite having led most of the way up, is always up for the challenge. Vince and I were just behind them, and managed to make it across Ridgeline all together.
The guys still kept the pace up going up Shady, and even sprinted toward the top, so I really had to push just to stay with them. On the descent, I kind of felt like they were trying to ditch me probably tiring of me just lurking in the back. This was substantiated when we got on the trail by the 405 when Vince just gave me that look and seemingly tried to block me from launching a sprint to the bridge. I got around him just to latch back on to Todd and Jeremy. When Jeremy had come off the front and Todd passed, I told Jeremy to get in front of me and got a disapproving head shake ultimately followed with a wave of the arm to pass. HA HA. I guess I better get up front and do some work, or these guys may lynch me at the Ridgeline stoplight post.
When we got to Ridgeline, it was cool to look back and see Shannon at the corner with us as we waited to cross and start the climb. Jeremy had started us off up the climb at first, and he and Todd took off when it first pitched up leaving the rest of us behind. I gave chase only to hope that they didn't get too far away from us, but I ran out of steam and Shannon passed me looking focused and keeping a steady pace. I was never able to catch any of them on the descent and was fortunate that they all got caught at the light on Bonita Canyon. Vince had rolled up and past me just before I got to the light.
Todd led us up Bonita Canyon at first, and I stayed with Shannon only until he opted to push up to the front and lead us toward Shady. I think I almost surrendered before the crest as I watched Vince stand up and start sprinting just to keep up with the rest of the guys. I didn't though as I'm sure that would have come with more verbal flogging.
I was trying to do more on Bonita Canyon mostly because we were close to the finish, but I never got held out for very long. Due to time constraints, Shannon, Vince and Jeremy ended up making a right on McArthur, but Todd and I went up Ford to include the Condo.
Since it was just Todd and I, I figured I may as well lead him up Ford and try to offer him a good lead out up Jamboree. I did what I could to keep up the pace, but Todd passed me just before the false flat stretch that led to Bison. He probably would have broken away from me on Bison, but the lights didn't work to his advantage.
Todd led us onto the 73 and I called out and passed just after to help us finish strong. Once again, my pace wasn't fast enough and Todd passed me just before we got to California. Boy I was glad the ride was done after that. A 22 mph pace for this route was just brutal. While I know the guys were probably sincerely "annoyed" with me not taking enough pulls, I know it's short-lived and only because they're caught up in the heat of the moment. That's how rolling with BAM is.
Thanks for the training, gents!
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