Texas - Cuda's Ride plans: 4/21 & 4/22

That last hill sure is a mountain when you're on the tail end of a ride, especially when you're facing a 18+ mph head wind. When I first started doing the RBM rides I'd crawl up that stretch in my lowest possible gear just trying to survive to the top. Today's ride reminded me of those days again.

Sorry I missed the ride, but I had a 128K populaire with the lone star randonneurs today. Trying to work up to my first 200 and 300k this year.

Sorry I missed the ride, but I had a 128K populaire with the lone star randonneurs today. Trying to work up to my first 200 and 300k this year.

Good luck with the plan. I'm hoping to do a century by the fall, but after Saturday's ride its obvious I have a ways to go to be in that sort of shape.

Nonsense. You ride plenty enough to do a century. Maybe not a fast paceline century, but a century nonetheless.

Nonsense. You ride plenty enough to do a century. Maybe not a fast paceline century, but a century nonetheless.

Maybe late last fall I could have, but Saturday I don't think I could have pushed another 5 mi into the wind, let alone another 25-50. The last 5-7mi on the way back in I just flat out hit the wall between the wind, and my endurance limit. I also made the mistake of not taking a second dose of Sports Legs during the rest stop. I have to say, the stuff just works in helping keep the legs fresh and ready for more.

Kevin, thanks for a great ride. I had a good time on Saturday nice group of people, good course, and it was nice to plan for the tail wind on the way home.

Cuda, 100 may be a strectch but maybe not. Cycling is suffering. Sometimes you have to push until you hit the wall to know where your limit lies. The greatest limitation of the body is the mind. Also on long rides eat before you are hungry, and drink before you are thirsty. On long rides I make it a point to drink a watter bottle in the first 10 miles. I also follow the GU schedule by the clock. 1 15 mins before and 1 every 45 during. It makes a huge difference in maintaining your energy reserves through the day. Come do Germanfest this weekend and get in another long one.

Yeah, I did a lot of stuff wrong on the ride Saturday that probably contributed to my later suffering on the way back in. Drinking and eating enough probably fairly high on that list. I'm not real comfortable getting my bottles in/out of the cages on the Flyte which reduces how much I'm drinking on the move. I should have some new cages in from nashbar today which will hopefully reduce this issue.

Longest ride I've done to date has been a Metric Century, two of them in fact, with a number of 45-55mi rides as well last year. My goal this year was to start extending the milage I was comfortable riding, and yes, the only way to do that is to push your limits and beyond them. Unfortunately I haven't been on the bike near enough these last few months to maintain my fitness and endurance, let alone expand them. Hopefully once I heal up from my surgury that is planned for late this week or early next week I can get refocused on my milage goals. If for any reason I don't have stitches in 7 places by this weekend, another long weekend of riding sounds great. :)

Cuda, you need to come ride with me and the Texas Wheels on tuesdays and Thursdays. Believe me, two weeks of riding with those guys will add a MPH per week for the first 3 weeks, make you a better hill climber, and get you ready for anything. Thus week will be my 4th week riding with them, and that 80miles on Sunday was easy - I could've gone another 80. I didn't get in the paceline to get out of the wind very often and I was still the thirs one home. If my fat arse can do it, I KNOW you can. I'll get you riding a 200K by the end of June, and a full century by beginning, if you're not too long in healing!

aikigreg - I might just have to take you up on that. what time tues/thrus? As soon as I get back on the bike and am confident that some serious hard miles won't result in ripped open wounds, I plan to hit it hard.

cuda- you think youll be ready for our big ride?

I hope so Ryan. That's early June right? We'll see how I heal up.

June 8- leaving about noon, so we can get to the campground before too late.

aikigreg - I might just have to take you up on that. what time tues/thrus? As soon as I get back on the bike and am confident that some serious hard miles won't result in ripped open wounds, I plan to hit it hard.

We meet Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm at the Joe Pool Lake Marina on Lake Ridge Parkway. It's a 30 mile route each time. One day is a hill day and theother is a speed day. Both will kikc your butt. My on-bike average (for the slow bike I have now) has increased from 15.6 to 18.6 in a month.