The group usually consists of a number of Coach's athletes, along with a few serious cyclists. The first time I did the ride, I realized very quickly that I was in over my head. I was able to hang okay on the "warm up" through all the city lights, but once we hit the straightaway on Santa Teresa, I was left in the dust. Luckily I made friends with my old man friends - Dave (DM) and Steve. It was Steve's first ride too, so DM showed us the route and we stuck together up the Willow Springs hill and along the crazy windy back stretch of Uvas and McKean. Since it was my first ride, the guys stuck with me the whole ride. At the time I didn't realize how much of a help they were or how windy that ride was.
I missed a few weeks with work being busy, being out of town, and tapering for Wildflower, but after that, I couldn't wait to get back. My second ride was a little different. DM was away at Coach's training camp, so Steve and I kept each other company as we fell off the back super fast. I was in awe of Christen after seeing her bike split at Wildflower and, as much as I would have loved to ride with her, she took off with the guys at the front of the pack, never to be seen for the rest of the ride. Someday... Steve pulled away from me on Santa Teresa, but luckily waited for me at the end of Willow Springs. I lead the way back towards Almaden and couldn't believe the wind. If you have ever ridden in South Santa Clara County, you know that riding north is like riding uphill the whole time - the wind is no joke! But once we got onto McKean, Steve took over and I got my first real taste of drafting!!! I must have experienced it previously, but I never appreciated how much of a difference being in the wind free cocoon makes!
Week 3, Steve and I were off the back again, but since he knew that I knew where I was going, he left me to fend for myself against the winds. I know that riding against the wind will only make me a stronger cyclist, but man it was rough going.
On to today - well, today was amazing. I just watched Blue Crush over the weekend (one of my all time favorites - don't judge) and they use the phrase "surf stoked" to describe a newbie who has caught the surfing bug. Well, today I feel "cycle stoked". After watching the front pack drift off into the distance at the first straight away, it was down to our band of three. After seeing how much of a difference drafting makes on the back stretch of the ride between weeks 2 and 3, I was determined to stick with my boys (men? - hard to call them boys!!) I pushed harder and longer than I ever have on the bike. My quads had the perfect burn going as I pushed myself to not to get dropped.
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| Look how close I am!!! Starting on Willow Springs Road. |
We made it to Willow Springs in my fastest time yet. I definitely had a 'hurts so good' feeling in my legs, but I was determined not to let up. After turning onto Willow Springs, easy rollers turn into a windy 7.5% grade for just under a mile. I am proud to say that I beat the boys up the hill!! But true to form, they caught me on the downhill and we made the dreaded turn to head back north. DM said that the winds were the worst that he had dealt with in a while - and he would know, as he pulled for most of the way back.
The more I ride, the more I finally understand all the bike terms that people use on the blogs I follow. I totally get being a "wheel sucker" (sticking to someone's wheel to stay in their draft and not use as much energy) and really appreciate the guys out front doing the pulling (being the martyr out front creating the draft for everyone else - me - to suck). Now, it's said that you save about 30% of your energy by drafting because you are using less energy to go the same speed because you're not fighting the wind. But it's not as easy as it sounds.
The entire ride back, I felt like the caboose of a toy train that almost got left behind, but managed to connect itself to the rest of the train just in time. Remember the wooden toy trains that were connected by a magnet...yeah, I felt like that. If I fell off the pace just a little bit, I would slowly drift back. If I slowed down too much, I would fall out of my beloved cocoon and be smacked in the face by the wind. So I would have to pedal back hard enough for the magnet to work - to get me back into the draft zone. I pushed harder tonight than ever, and I am proud to say that I hung on the whole way!
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| Yep - pretty much how I felt. |
I definitely felt bad that I wasn't able to share in any of the pulling responsibilities, but I know I'm not strong enough for the job yet. But, like the little engine that could (OMG so cheesy!!), my goal is to repay DM and Steve sooner rather than later. I pushed myself harder today than ever, and I truly appreciate the benefits of riding with people better that yourself.
I never would have known how much of a burn my legs could handle if I was riding by myself and I'm super lucky to have such a great group to ride with.
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| Still here guys!!! On the way back, near Calero Reservoir |
When I met Christen on my first Wednesday ride, I remember her saying that she lives for these rides. Well, I'm in the same boat. I'm totally "cycle stoked" and am so grateful for this ride and I love that it now has a permanent spot on my training calendar. It's also solidified one of the other things that I love so much about triathlons...getting to know people you wouldn't otherwise, and having such a great supportive community out there!
Race Report for the Morgan Hill Sprint Tri to come...
Happy Training!!
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