One man, one Sempre

Embarked from the Publix parking lot for my Monday Millhopper loop. It's my favorite ride: 13.5 miles, just under 40 minutes of hard, steady cycling with a few hills to mix it up. There are no intersections and minimal traffic issues. The biggest thing is all the plant debris that piles up in the bike lane  but that's usually not too bad. Did I mention that it's over in less than 40 minutes?

Anyway I headed out at a little harder effort than normal. I noted some people in Department of Corrections orange vests working on the other side of the street. I would have to go out in the road to pass them on the way back. I passed my first check point in good time. There seemed to be a little bit of a tailwind. At this point I was breathing fairly hard, heart rate around 160. At the age of 42 my HR maxes out around 180bpm. To my right some car was getting pulled over by the cops.

Next up were a couple of hills. I focused on staying low on the downhill portions while pedaling in the hardest gear. I tried Paul's trick of nudging the big shifter to prevent chain scrape in this gear. Of course it worked. I made it up to  33.8 mph going down the I-75 overpass hill. A few smaller hills later and I arrived at CR 241, which is my turnaround point. There was a little traffic, but everyone was cool and I weaved through my U-turn.

At this point I was averaging 218 watts. My personal best for this ride was 217 so it was going to come down to how much I had left in the tank. It's funny how when you're tired it feels like you're working so much harder, but you really aren't. I was a little gassed going back up the I-75 hill, but I made it. This is a tough section because there is the I-75 hill. Then it kind of plateaus. But then there is a steady uphill grade for another 100 feet. Finally there is a sharp downhill, followed by a longer uphill. This is definitely the most challenging section of the route.

After the last hill there is just over 10 minutes left in the ride. Mentally it's not too hard to hang in there for another 10 minutes. A go through my final check point in good time, pass the prisoners and the finish line is in sight. At the end I turned right on 43rd to extend the ride another minute and a half to get to an even 40. That way the watts would count for a new 40 minute best. I wound up bettering my previous 30 and 40 minute marks by a little. It doesn't seem like much, but it helps me stay motivated.

Two days of tough riding. Friday's Racetrack loop was windy and cold. At some points I was just going 15mph into a straight headwind. I finished over 10 minutes slower than my best time and my feet were numb from the cold. On the commute in to work that afternoon I noted all the cars heading south on 34th St. Students leaving town on Veteran's Day weekend. Sure enough it was a mostly laid back evening at work.

Saturday morning I planned on riding the Hawthorne trail  but I had to wait until 11 for it to warm up. I wondered how the Cyclist on Fire was doing on his camping trip. Finally I set out after it had warmed up to 65 F. Since I had nothing better to do I set a goal of breaking my 2 hour watts record on the bike. My previous record was set when I had skipped my usual Friday ride. I had no idea how my legs would respond after the tiring Racetrack outing in the wind. I'm not one of those people that rides crazy distances day after day.

Anyway I entered the trail head knowing I had to best 159 watts for 2 hours. It's not really that hard compared to the intensity of the 90 minute Racetrack ride. I started out and things were going smoothly. I decided to try to ride a little harder to give myself a cushion. Heading out of the Hammock I sped up to 28 mph in honor of the CoF. At one point I got into a minor tiff while passing another cyclist. She did not appreciate me waiting to announce my presence until I was right behind her.

I made it to the halfway point in 52 minutes and change, averaging 177 watts. I looped around started the ride back. My joints were starting to get sore. I've mentioned this before, but for the life of me I can't understand why many cyclists like to ride 3 to 5 hours. It's just not that interesting of a sport.You're sitting there crouched over doing the same motion over and over. Anyway I was getting bored, missing the camaraderie of the usual Saturday ride where the CoF and I spend time shooting the breeze.

Just then I noticed an alarming stinging coming from my pee hole. I tried repositioning my shorts and did a cursory examination while riding. I tried to fight it off because my 2 hour watts record was within reach but I still had nearly an hour to go and the stinging would not abate. I stopped the bike and urinated hoping that a speck of dirt or something was caught in there. It would have been just my luck that a family with little kids or some women's cycling group would have rounded the corner with me, dick in hand, with steaming urine flowing into the breeze scrutinizing the tip of my pecker.

Luckily it was mission accomplished without any spectators.  The stinging subsided and I resumed the ride. By the time I exited out on to Waldo road I was down to 167 average watts, but still well above my previous mark of 159. However, I still had 15 minutes to kill before I reached the 2 hour mark. I headed up Waldo Road towards University Ave. The trick was to keep riding because each time I stop or slow down for traffic I lose watts in a major way. I crossed over Waldo near the spot of the CoF's foot catastrophe earlier this year, veered over to 9th St and heading towards 23rd Ave.

All the maneuvering cost me and I was down to 162 average watts for the ride. I pass the CoF's street and hang a left on to 23rd. I still have 3 minutes to burn and I'm riding the wrong way down the sidewalk. Sure enough there is some mentally handicapped dude riding an adult tricycle with one of those giant orange flags heading my way. I have no where to go. There is traffic on the street. I can't get around this dude. I have to take an emergency left into some random neighborhood to prevent stopping and losing more watts. At this point the whole thing has become an exercise in ridiculousness. I look back and the tricycle dude turned as well and is now following me. Mercifully, I finally hit the 2 hour mark. My coveted 2 hour watts record secured I head over to Bikes and More.

At B&M I talk to Paul about adjusting shifters and how to keep my bike from making a scraping sound when in the hardest gear. I wish I was one of those guys that was naturally good at fixing stuff and understood mechanics but it's never going to happen. At the end of the day my strengths come down to being able to eat huge amounts of sugar, petting cats and figuring out how to get  insurance to cover your diarrhea medicine.

Anyway Paul loaned me a giant Allen wrench to make it easier for me to change pedals on my bikes so I can wear my winter cycling boots on the Sempre when it really cold (ie the 30's in Florida).

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So this is my peak power data. Next Wednesday I'll take another shot at besting my 10 minute mark.

It can be depressing sometimes how much harder it is to ride 23mph versus say 20 mph. The air resistance increases exponentially and it's like trying to swing a trash can underwater. I mention this because I did my commuting intervals today. Normally the intervals of harder riding are for only a minute. Today I tried to go about 2 minutes a couple of times in more traffic friendly spots.

Of course it was exhausting. There are all kinds of crazy obstacles, other cyclists, cars pulling out into the cross walks, last minute light changes. So it's not the most scientific way to train.

Got a Fed Ex confirmation that my new wool jersey is soon to arrive just in time for colder weather.

Another Glider ride today. The Dad, Publix, Skeletor, San Diego, the Semi were there along with a few others. The Parakeet and the woman who looks almost exactly like her (The Dopplekeet) were there as well. Very non-taxing ride today, but we still had to slow way down a couple of times because the Ride Captain, Skeletor and the Parakeet were dropped.

On the way back I was at the front and I decided to try and break my 10 minute watts record (233 W) which according to my computer program had stood since July. I don't go out and try to set watts records for shorter times so usually they are in the context of a longer outing. Anyway I was at 7 minutes and everything was fine. I was working, but I was in a groove and it was going to happen. There was a headwind so I was having work harder but I wasn't going over the group's 21mph speed limit. I was getting kind of pumped about breaking the record and just as I rounded a corner somebody calls out to slow down because people are way back there. So I had to turn it down a couple of notches and the 10 minute record remains elusive.

At the end the Dad cranked it up to 24-26mph for the last 7 minutes or so. We had a tailwind, but still that guy was killing it.

The ride home from work last night was pretty tiring. I was hauling more crap that weighed me down. I had to lie down on the floor for 10 minutes and just think about nothing. Did I mention I'm applying for a transfer? There is a Walgreens Specialty pharmacy for transplant patients opening up  down the street and they need a manager. Could be a nice change of pace or a complete disaster.

Millhopper loop today. I don't care what anyone says, it is definitely windier here in the fall/winter. Under gray skies I pedaled through every familiar contour of the route. I take some satisfaction in knowing this area so well. Knowing just when to shift gears, when to rise out of the saddle, how long it should take to get to each of my landmarks. Going over the hills on the way back for extra motivation I daydreamed that I was battling it out with my pseudo nemesis Boss Hogg.

I didn't set any time records due to the wind, but I did reach new highs in watts for 15,20,30 and 40 minutes which was cool.

Lots of riding this past weekend. A somewhat chilly Hawthorne trail ride with the Cyclist on Fire. Not looking forward to riding out there when it's 30 degrees but I am looking forward to downing a thermos full of hot chocolate during our stop break.

The wind from the north made the commute home from work Sunday tougher than usual. Plus I was hauling tons of paper from work to recycle. So I was actually kind of exhausted when I arrived home. Have a every mentioned this guy across the street who rides a recumbent? It's not super high tech or anything. He looks pretty content. I still want to ride one of those things.

Rode with the Gliders for the first time since the crash. It turns out that the old dude that was in the wreck had to be hospitalized due to bleeding in his brain. His OK now though. Still that sucks. The Kid and the Dad were absent as were Boss Hogg and Skeletor. Maybe the Kid is banished from the ride for apparently causing the wreck. The other riders were bashing him a little today.

The Sempre was riding fast and I wound up gaping people when I was at the front. I believe I've progressed beyond this group. Not to say I'm the best rider there. It's just that the weak links really hold me back and often I feel kind of bored and  under challenged. However it is a very convenient ride for me. The next step up would be the 'A' riders who would probably do the cycling equivalent of beating me up and taking my lunch money.

Rode in to work today. Had to go in way early to catch up on a bunch of BS. The late night ride home was peaceful.