Originally Posted by
big john
Reminds me of last Saturday. I felt sluggish from the start and then worked about as hard as I could to try and hang on to the group. I was fried at the 25 mile break and couldn't recover enough to make any power. My legs hurt the rest of the way and I had to go to my lowest gear on every uphill. (68 miles and 3500 ft) The most I've hurt on a ride in a long time. Went out for an hour Wednesday morning and still felt like crap. Maybe some sort of sickness, idk. Went out this morning and almost felt normal.
The first time I went up Old La Honda this Spring (actually the first time in maybe 2 years), I felt fine on the ride to the bottom, but riding up it was a real chore. It felt like I was at the limit of what my legs could sustain for the length of the climb, and when I got to the top I was plumb wore out. My time was something like 35 minutes, including the 2 or so minutes when I stopped for a breather (haven't done that in years). I think I cut that whole ride down to a little over 50 miles because the legs just didn't have it.
The next week, I went up it again, 5 minutes faster, with no stop, and felt so good the rest of the ride that I did 67 miles that day.
Sometimes, you never can tell.