Airport Ride and why the Roubaix!

Okay, so there may be some light at the end of the sore legs saga. Yesterday I did the airport ride, I am gonna cover how it went down and try and make those of you resistant to road racing understand the coolness of this stuff.

So, I awoke around 6:30 am, temperature a balmy 25 degrees, had a great breakfast, reflected that I was on day 4 of no Copenhagen or other nicoteen products. Dawdled around till it got close to time to go only to realize I could not find my wind blocking tights. Well this is gonna suck as it's still around freezing! Make the drive up in time to put on my sidis, pull down my booties and strap on the helmet and head to the line. Looks like a good crowd, not hure but say around 80 or so. And we're off, seems like the guys are frisky already, decent accelerations but no bid deal as we head out of town, what's this after about two miles here comes several of Phil's TT1 boys all kitted up and bringing a bit of good morning heat. Now, it's roughly 33 degrees, we are doing 27 to 28 mph in between stoplights, gonna be a fun day. Its' kinda squirrely here towards the back of the pack and I am getting a little aggravated so, take a peek at the HR and realize I am feeling pretty good, so I decide to eat some wind as I crank on the pedals and move to about 7th or 8th wheel, just far enough forward to feel some effort. We hit the nature break area with an average of around 22mph with all traffic lights so pretty fast. We take back off and I know that soon we'll begin the series of climbs that lead to the right hand turn that leads to the first sprint. If I am caught out here I may never get on and typically it's where the ride explodes for the first group to get dropped. So, through each climb I move forward, of course the sprinters are moving forward as well and it's really heating up, we make the turn and off like a rocket, I stannd for three revs, then sit down and power up, okay, watching the heart rate creep, I am still with the lead group, okay heart rate about 175, thinking, "I could contest this sprint". But wiser heads prevail and I just sit, as we approach the split, I want to go long but don't have confidence in my legs so, I take the short route, we regroup after I pull a bunch up to those who went off on the sprint and some who skipped the nature break, so I am kinda tired but surviving. We hit the long 2o mile section of road that is bascially flat to uphill and in to the wind. A couple of guys are working and I am sitting back just watching running about 7th wheel but letting them work back in. At a light a couple complain so I tel the, "I got no problem working through, set up the line and talk to people. So, we ended up with about 14 of us working through while the other 26 set back and ley us pull through. It hurt, my heart rate was sky high, but I worked. We came up the next sprint (4 miles to the finish), a couple of guys who had been hiding decided to come forward to win the sprint so we had all out craziness for the next 100 meters, no I did not win, just happy to be sitting in on that one considering I was already feeling it. So we reform and again us 14 workers are going and we decided to really put on the heat, next thing you know, we have a gap and are gone! 42 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes total time, high of 36 degrees, windy. Come get some of that boys.

Now the reason I like this stuff, is you have to think, you have to strategize, you don't have to be the strongest, but you gotta ride smart, on this ride, I chose first to not get dropped, second I chose to work which I needed versus sitting in and waiting for the sprints. Next week, I may hide until it's time to sprint, this stuff is fun guys, now sign up for the Roubaiz and lets have BC go and control a race!