Saturday, March 03, 2007

Captain, we have a problem...


we have lost power to our main engine, Captain, we are losing engine pressure. Pressure is dropping rapidly, if it continues, we will lose our secondary engine. Sir, we have identified the problem, there is a leak in the fuel chamber. There is no more fuel. No fuel is reaching the power sources! May Day, May Day... we have just lost our secondary engine. We are going down, I repeat, we are going down.

That about sums up the ride today. Painful, exhaustin, irritating, did I mention exhausting? Not sure what was going on but I just didn't have any power. Nothing, nah dah, zip, zilch. It was a sad state of affairs. Especially when you look at the company I was with and having a bad day means you are going to fall off the back instantly and watch helplessly as they ride off into the distant.

Met up with Mike, Chad and Alan at 7am. We left out of CVS to put in our 48 mile Pike Rd/82/37 loop. Weather was perfect. All was looking good. That all changed about 4 miles in when we hit this small, and I do mean small, incline that lead up through the Pike Road community. Once I got over the hump, I was wiped out. Heart rate out the roof, and the power was gone, caput, out of here. There was nothing left.

Just reminding you now, this was at mile 4. That's not a typo. I didn't mean to put 41 or 14, just 4. I still had 46 total miles left to my house!

Not sure what was wrong but that is the weakest I have felt on a bike in a long time. Maybe I hadn't recovered from last week. I definately felt fatigued. Last week was the toughest ride I had been on in a LONG time. Not to mention, I hadn't ridden any this week to refresh the legs. It could also be the 5 Alarm Cheeseburger with onions and jalapenos with a splash of Chipotle sauce from the Red Robin I had last night. Add on the half pound of fries and the spinach and artichoke dip, and you might say I had a "full" belly. It was not excactly a "light" dinner.

One thing I do know, I have got to make some changes. I have got to buckle down and get back on the weights. And start doing some mid-week riding. Whether it be spinning classes, actualy riding my bike, something to make my legs move in a clockwise direction. Otherwise I am going to have to start riding with the beginner group from the bike club and pray they don't drop me.

A big thanks goes out to Chad, Alan and Mike. They could have left me which I asked them to do a couple of time. But they waited at each turn to make sure I caught up. A classy group of gents I must say.

Even though today was a bad day physically, I feel very blessed to have this passion for cycling flowing through my veins. Even on the worst days, there is nothing like being on your bike. I can't imagine my life without two things... my family and my bike. Everything else is trivial.

On that note... I can't wait till next week! New vision, new focus, it is time to rock!

Ride Info:
Distance: 49.92
Avg. Speed: 18.67
Max Speed: 30.1
Total Ride Time: 2:41:54
Avg. Heart Rate: 167 (not good)
Max Heart Rate: 184