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01-17-09, 09:21 PM
Today I had a friend and colleague from work join me on the Montrose Ride. It's a local training ride with usually 150--200 riders showing up. Totally flat (meaning: no downhills, either), about 35-40 miles (depending on which version you take) and a fast, hammerfest. It took us dead-on 93 minutes to cover our 34-miles, averaging 22mph, including the 1-mile easy start, and the numerous stop lights we slow down and stop at along the way. Most of the time, we're cruising at 25mph (easy pace) or faster. Our maximum speed was 36mph. On a flat section--not down hill :eek:.
Anyway, I tell you all that to tell you this:
Eric just started riding about 6-months ago and is focused on triathlons. Beanz may see him from time to time as he rides on the same river trail (SGRT). Eric's an excellent runner doing like 5-minute miles in 10k races. He holds his own in swimming, gets passed by cyclists, and blows 'em away in the run. He is a skinny guy.
After about 7 miles of our hammerfest, I look back and make eye contact with him. He opens his mouth to gape for air, rolls his eyes, hangs his head, and slowly shakes it. He's hurtin'. I gently laugh and encourage him on as we haven't really hit the hard sections. I tend to ride toward the middle of the pack, trying to get Eric to join me in these easier confines of the wind-sheltered bubble, but it's his first pack ride and he's a little shy about being so close at these speeds. I drop back at stop lights from time to time, to check on him, and then accelerate back into the bubble. Each time, I look back to see if he's still there, and--head hangin'--he is. I'm impressed with this, his first, real big, race-pace, group ride. Good job, Eric. We continue to do this for another 18-miles.
In the end, he made it a total of 25-miles before blowing up and falling off the pace. Since I invited him, I drop off the back and keep him company and pace him: maybe we'll catch back on at another light. I know there's no more lights for awhile, but he wants to keep trying. I keep pace at 25mph for a bit more, and we finally see the pack disappear. So we ease up and climb the few, small rolling hills during the last 4 miles of the route.
We got to the finish, had a PowerBar, talked and socialized, and rehydrated. Eric was duly impressed with how hard it was, but vowed to continue coming back as he thought it would be excellent training for his triathlons (good for him)--and it will. After a few minutes, we and a couple friends dropped it onto our small chainrings and spun (recovery pace after our hard efforts) our way back to the cars, 6-easy miles away.
I take pleasure in seeing the look on new riders' faces when they see first-hand, and understand, the effort it takes to ride at these speeds. And I'm enjoying that moment now. It sometimes seems that the general population thinks this is easy, mocking us with "Lance-wannabe" or "racer-weenie" tags. Well it is hard. Even for Skinnies. And I enjoyed that little emotional revenge today.
In the end, the moral to the story is: the skinny guy doesn't always win. Sometimes, they're just starting out and can be beaten :lol:
Oh, in case not everyone knows me, I'm 6'3", 260 lbs. And I didn't have the heart to tell Eric that today was a little easier and slower than normal. :roflmao2:
Anyway, I tell you all that to tell you this:
Eric just started riding about 6-months ago and is focused on triathlons. Beanz may see him from time to time as he rides on the same river trail (SGRT). Eric's an excellent runner doing like 5-minute miles in 10k races. He holds his own in swimming, gets passed by cyclists, and blows 'em away in the run. He is a skinny guy.
After about 7 miles of our hammerfest, I look back and make eye contact with him. He opens his mouth to gape for air, rolls his eyes, hangs his head, and slowly shakes it. He's hurtin'. I gently laugh and encourage him on as we haven't really hit the hard sections. I tend to ride toward the middle of the pack, trying to get Eric to join me in these easier confines of the wind-sheltered bubble, but it's his first pack ride and he's a little shy about being so close at these speeds. I drop back at stop lights from time to time, to check on him, and then accelerate back into the bubble. Each time, I look back to see if he's still there, and--head hangin'--he is. I'm impressed with this, his first, real big, race-pace, group ride. Good job, Eric. We continue to do this for another 18-miles.
In the end, he made it a total of 25-miles before blowing up and falling off the pace. Since I invited him, I drop off the back and keep him company and pace him: maybe we'll catch back on at another light. I know there's no more lights for awhile, but he wants to keep trying. I keep pace at 25mph for a bit more, and we finally see the pack disappear. So we ease up and climb the few, small rolling hills during the last 4 miles of the route.
We got to the finish, had a PowerBar, talked and socialized, and rehydrated. Eric was duly impressed with how hard it was, but vowed to continue coming back as he thought it would be excellent training for his triathlons (good for him)--and it will. After a few minutes, we and a couple friends dropped it onto our small chainrings and spun (recovery pace after our hard efforts) our way back to the cars, 6-easy miles away.
I take pleasure in seeing the look on new riders' faces when they see first-hand, and understand, the effort it takes to ride at these speeds. And I'm enjoying that moment now. It sometimes seems that the general population thinks this is easy, mocking us with "Lance-wannabe" or "racer-weenie" tags. Well it is hard. Even for Skinnies. And I enjoyed that little emotional revenge today.
In the end, the moral to the story is: the skinny guy doesn't always win. Sometimes, they're just starting out and can be beaten :lol:
Oh, in case not everyone knows me, I'm 6'3", 260 lbs. And I didn't have the heart to tell Eric that today was a little easier and slower than normal. :roflmao2: