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March Update |
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Written by Jason Mahokey
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Friday, 23 March 2007 |
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Late winter/early spring is time for me to get out and get some base miles and my annual head cold. It's also the time here in Western PA where it's 50 degrees one day, and 20 the next. Hard to be consistent with base miles, but I've been taking advantage and getting out when I can. These are some observations from some of my early March rides.
Off the trainer and outside:
Had been on the trainer all week and was anticipating some miles outside this weekend, but then I got a cold. Drat! But as the weekend approached I pounded Airborne, H2O and Halls all day to try to get the head and throat funk out of me. It worked! Woke up Saturday feeling much better and now needed to get a ride in.
Saying I felt 100% may have been a stretch. My sore throat/nasal drip was gone but something odd was going on with the belly. All was good after 2 to 6 visits to the porcelain thrown. Had I read the back of the Hall's package on Friday and seen the "EXCESS CONSUMPTION MAY HAVE A LAXATIVE AFFECT" line, the a.m. may have been a little better. Lesson learned.
Temps were hovering right above 40. At first I thought I might be overdressed, but when the sun inevitably went in and the winds kicked up I was just fine. I can't say enough about my Craft jacket rain jacket. It's a rain jacket but the wind stop stuff works big time and makes riding in cooler temps MUCH easier on my chicken bone chest.
As I rolled down one rural road I saw a sign with "COKE $" written on it. When I first looked at the above sign, in my warm and fuzzy ride enjoying mind, I had images of an irate Coca-Cola lover who got jipped by a vending machine and thought "who gets THAT upset, it's just a dollar" then after that thought finally processed I thought "Ohhh COKE money!!!" then had images of coked up, baseball bat wielding hicks laying some smack down on my spandex butt. So I put the hammer down and got on down the road. Fast!
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The last big climb is about a mile up with a steep grade. I was going a nice THREE MHP!! With my legs ready to explode! A walker could have left me in the dust. When cars would pass me I found myself wondering what they must be thinking, and came up with two scenarios.
1. "Look at that guy climbing this monster hill on a bike, rock on!" (showing "fist of rock") OR 2. "Look at this idiot trying to climb this hill on a bike, get a car hippie!". (showing extended middle finger)
I'm almost certain that #2 was the winner, I hit just about every road in my local loop repertoire and threw down a chilly, but great 3 hour ride. Got roughly 47 miles in (maybe more the computer wasn't working right the whole time-grrrrr) and 4,200'+ of climbing in.
Another Saturday in the saddle:
My wrench buddy Tom finished some tune ups on my road bike last night and I headed over early a.m. to fetch it. NOTHING like a fresh chain and cassette to feel spanky. Although the new 105 cassette felt like a 10lb. weight. I'M KIDDING, it felt great and I pedaled faster just knowing the money saved over getting another lust worthy, but more expensive Ultegra cassette.
T. also put some new Salsa Goma bar tape on for me. I put some on last month and let's just say I screwed it up royally and after Tom saw it, in his words - "it made me cringe". Yep I know how to pedal for long periods of time, change a tire, lube a chain/cables, and it ends about there. Thank God for good friends. And good friends that are great mechanics! Thanks Tom!
After I got home, I loaded up the car, lubed up with some Greyhound Juice anti friction chamois cream to take the edge off my hind quarters, chamoised up and headed out for some more road miles.
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I was feeling great. Rain was in the forecast so I stuck the rain jacket in the rear jersey pocket and started out. If felt SO GOOD to ride with just some arm/knee warmers. Only needed the jacket for about 45 minutes of the ride when it started to light drizzle.
The only downside is shorts in the early spring rides is having to see my paper white skin. Check that attached photo, my legs look like albino salamis wrapped in wool Twin-Six socks.
With the roads still white from salt, my white legs, and the trees all still bare, it was like riding in one of W's "axis of evil" nuclear winter nightmares. Enter on "Day After" via two wheels. HA!
I was so happy to be outside again today. I upped my overall speed from last week, felt great on the climbs and never went below 5 mph on the last BIG ASS-WAL-MART-DIVA-SO-BIG-I-RIDE-IN-AN-ELECTRIC-SCOOTER-MILE-LONG-CLIMB that had me struggling to maintain 3 mph last week. And in the last 300' to the summit of the climb I sprinted. Take that! Of course I almost passed out on my arrival to the top. HA!
Since I didn't get lost this week and had some giddy up in the legs I got the 45 done in about 2:45. This ride rocked and I'm feeling good that with some minor route adjustments a double lap of this could be a nice spring time century training ride.
Hope you all are getting some miles in and it's not still too cold where you are. Now I need to go work on my tan.
Later.
Jason
"The Soiled Chamois"
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