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| Signs of the season..... |
Modified Tempo Rides
The roads and trails across the Valley are as bad as I've seen them for this time of year. Considering how mild and warm the winter was, I'd expect the conditions to be far better. There has been so much utility construction over the mild winter, everything is all chopped up. The normal early season tempo ride would generally consist of a lot of highway miles, with several backroads along the way. This still is a pretty fast pace - even early on in the season. The conditions are definitely not suitable for the road bike, but very well for the hardtail. I've learned the lesson about trying to add too much climbing into the tempo ride so early. It turns into more of an endurance ride - which can come a bit later. Tonight was nearly 3-hours of cold and getting colder, continuous grinding. The stats aren't ideal, but better than what I had only a few days ago. I do manage to get a few miles of dirt on this particular course, with my return speed on that stretch pushing a pretty solid race-pace. I wouldn't say I bonked, but I could feel a difference right around the 2-hour mark. Part of this is likely due to a couple minor adjustments in cleat and saddle positions that are needed. Weather permitting, I'll try this again within the next 5-days.
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| This sign is only at MP22 - you get the picture. |
Where does desire meet success?
Seeing the signs over on SR39 this evening really makes me yearn for those days going up and over the top. The snow gate on the west side is only 15 miles up the road from this sign. MP44 - well that math is pretty simple. The camp ground is just under 26-miles, with the snow gate on the east side just shy of 34-miles. I could go on about all the landmarks and mileposts, but that is a series of memories from many years of riding this road - all the way to Woodruff and back. Some of those have been very long days that spanned from complete heat exhaustion to freezing, trying to outrun torrential summer storms. As much as it costs physically (and emotionally), I need that experience to drive my success - however I may measure it. There are days when it seems like an eternity trying to get past each landmark. There are also days when my soul finds peace with being up there - and away from everything else. I never ride it with anyone else and have a lot of time to sort through things in my head. Sometimes I solve engineering problems in my head - which has been very fruitful on some stressful projects. Other times I contemplate relationships - both personal and professional. There is no cell service most of the way after you get past Atoka on the west side and the end of the powerlines on the east side. I often see a lot of wildlife along the way - making it special in it's own right. Most every time going over and back, I think about how I would write about that particular adventure. So many times it sounds like "And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street", but by the time I get home it is all boiled down to the "horse and cart". When all is said and done, success isn't measured out in standard units, but rather the satisfaction of overcoming the thing that always pushes back.
Recovery with Intervals
Tomorrow will be an indoor spin session early, focusing on cadence. Hopefully being in the office all day, I can also get a couple sessions of spring and balance work. The next day will be early intervals with hills in the evening - weather permitting. I also need to work on the bike - both doing maintenance and upgrades. I'm also thinking about tearing into the road bike and completely redoing all the cables and guides. The key is to stay diligent without causing damage - plenty of rest. The diet side of things is doing better. Rides shorter than 3-hours don't require much in the way of fueling, but more on the hydration side of things. Keeping things clean - or at least cleaner than before. A ton of protein and some "good" fats. Creatine is only at about 10-12 grams daily, which seems to agree with my system. At the moment its not about total miles, but weekly hours and relative intensity. Maintaining 9 - 12 hours per week with moderate intensity seems to be a good combination for now. Mixing it up - even better.
Ride HARD!
