This morning we had a ride for the QCW/Breakaway categories 4 and 5. We had a couple guests from other teams, but it was mostly a smurf parade.
It was kind of cold this morning, so I was all whiny about having to dig out my arm warmers. Luckily it was warmed up enough by the start that they were all I needed (about 58 degrees). I don't like riding when it's below 55 since then I need long pants and a heavier jersey.
I was a little worried about the ride since I didn't know how where my fitness was. It's no secret that my fitness has been rapidly improving, but it's one thing to compare me to myself when I was fat and laying on the couch all the time. It's quite another to compare me to my teammates who have been actively racing most of the year. I know I held on for the Labor Day ride, but I was HURTING by the end of that ride. I wasn't sure I had it today.
It was a really fun ride. I wish I could say where all we went, but I don't know the roads that well. It was about a 45 mile ride with a fair bit of climbing and one SCREAMING fast descent where, according to my PowerTap, I topped out at just shy of 48 mph. That's the fastest I've ever gone on a bike in my life.
The oddest thing I noticed was that I felt kind of sluggish on the first few climbs and really struggled to hang on. As the ride progressed, I felt stronger on each climb. I know the group had slowed down, but the power tap does not lie. I was feeling better at the same power numbers.
Sometimes, we see ourselves as we reflect in others' eyes. At one point, my teammate Alfonso made a comment that I was riding well. I looked at myself differently for the rest of the ride. I thought "maybe I'm really doing well." After that, a couple times I worked my way to the front of the group and tried pushing the pace a little bit.
Towards the end, on the road back into Manayunk, I decided it was time to go. Not quit and go home, I mean it was time to move. I kicked up the pace on the switchback climb from River Road up to Shawmont. I felt good climbing for the first time in years. As the road leveled out, I backed off a little and some guy from another team (who was not on our ride, but just happened to be on the same road) went by me. I smiled as I shifted into the big ring. "Let's play," I said to myself.
Out of the saddle, pouring on the speed (about 28 mph), I blew by the guy and kept on the heat. He got closer, then I pulled away again. I backed off near the Umbria/Main Street zig-zag because it's a pretty dangerous couple intersections. He didn't and got ahead.
At the bottom of Main Street, I waited for my teammates and we cruised back to West River Drive. Once there, I decided it was time to chase down Other Guy again. I was off like a shot, holding 26 mph for almost a mile to catch him. He had slowed down (which takes some fun out of it), so I got in his draft and waited for the boys in blue to catch up. My teammate Mike Coyle, who's fighting a bad cold, caught up. I was about to make a move with him, when he asked me to wait for him to catch his breath. After a minute, we made a move. Into a decent head wind, we worked together to hold about 23 to 24 mph to the end of the drive, where Mike shot by me. Other Guy was pretty far back.
I was really happy with how the day went. I started the day worrying whether I was fit enough to finish the ride. I ended up finishing strong and feeling the best I've felt after a group ride all year.
I'm looking forward to the foundation/base rides this winter, getting to know my teammates better and building a strong foundation for the 2010 racing season, during which I want to win my first crit race.
Oh yeah, and I weighed in at 179 pounds this morning.
FYI, for those not familiar with QCW/Breakaway Bikes, our team colors are black and smurf blue, hence the "smurf" and "blue" references.
