Trek, week six

Week five saw me chasing my tail in many ways. Last week I decided to ride 18 miles round trip to work twice week but little stuff got in the way and I  completed the trip only one day. My regular work out at lunch time in the gym was again preempted by just stuff that pulled me away from my goal. But the worst part of my scheduled rides last week was the fact that I bonked on my 4 hr ride at the 3.5 hour mark. Wow, that was a trip not to have enough juice left in the legs to turn the crank in granny gear!

Yep, I pushed the envelope on my ride yet again and wound up fully depleted for the rest of the day and part of the next one. The ride I had been planning for a whole two weeks now, A plus personality for sure right, was to leave my casa and take an out of the way route that doubled the miles one would drive to get to the pier in Naples. Round trip was low in the 50 to 55 mile range but  the time of being in the saddle for about  4 hrs was the goal.
In his 1987 book, complete book of bicycling, Greg Lamond said that when you start to get serious it's time spent in the saddle and keeping your legs churning that counts, your body will get used to bigger and bigger work loads as you get stronger and faster. I have to agree that to create a baseline first is, for me, the way to go. This philosophy has worked in all my endeavors so why change a good thing. I constantly tell people that just because it's old doesn't mean it doesn't work.
So any way I was tired when I started but you know how that is, once you get going everything checks out and your on your way. As I got to the 15 mile marker I stopped at a red light and felt pretty good, no since of turning back, onward as Lance would say. I have to insert here that I really believe that Accelorade was part of the problem, I just never felt hydrated drinking that stuff. If it works for you though don't stop using it. Long story short I cut my ride short and met 'the wife' at about the 40 mile mark. She was great to pick me up and I was crispy. Thanks Yoga girl.

The upside is I now know my weakness and it's not KRYPTONITE! I'll keep pushing until 4 hrs is a doable century. Naw, I'm not an A plus at all, just a b type hiding out with the fast crowd.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.