Why is it that as soon as you think, "Man, it's been a long time since I've had a flat." you get one? Does not thinking about flats offer some sort of puncture protection? I was about half way into an easy hour and a half ride when that familiar rim with pavement feeling arrived. The bright spot was another rider coming by just as I was getting ready to put the wheel back in the dropouts and asking, "Have you got everything you need?". Really nice on his part. I should be better about this when I see other riders at the side of the road considering how nice this made me feel when he asked, even though I didn't need the help.

Pozo La Panza Pozo Race

Put on the second in the Summer Outlaw series of bike races on Saturday. The turnout was small at nine riders, but everybody had fun. The weather cooperated by staying cooler than seasonal. As all of the male riders disappeared up the road on the first climb I knew I was going to be fighting for last place for my gender, and the one gal who raced looked real fit so I wasn't even assured of beating her. The motivation to go hard is always there no matter what the likely outcome and I ended up doing the course in 2 hrs and 45 min. a full half hour faster than my recon ride a few weeks ago. I had a bit of cramping in my left thigh between mile 20 and 27 and then got my ass kicked on the final steep dirt climb, but all in all a good day on the bike.
Sunday saw me out doing an easy 2 hours which started by getting stung on the top of the right kneecap by a honey bee. It's still red and swollen today, but didn't really swell up till a couple hours after the ride so I don't think I did any damage.
Riding to work today on the town bike today, I was asking myself, "Why don't I do this more often? It is such a nice way to start the day." No good answer so it looks like it's time for more bike commuting.

I think I'm finally beginning to understand rest days after more than 30 years of training for competitive cycling. Rest doesn't mean no riding it means no pushing hard and I mean none. Strictly little ring and easy pressure on the pedals. I went out for an hour and a half today and barely broke a sweat. This will wake up my legs for tomorrow's race without taking anything away from them. I also think that even at this low level the stimulation of the movement is good for the muscles, but more importantly for the joints - especially the knees.

Yesterday was the last day to ride hard before the Pozo La Panza Pozo race coming up in two days. I drove to my buddy Karl's place and we rode from there with his friend Ben, a seasoned rider and racer. Ben has just returned from more than a year of travel so I'd never riden with him before, but Karl's stories about him prepared me. Perfect riding conditions 75 and a light tail wind up the grade. I already knew that my legs were ready to go - I had that deep on the bone feeling all morning that says all systems go. The climb up the grade felt easy spinning a moderate gear sitting the whole time. Ben turned out to be a motor on the flat and it was all we could do to hold his wheel. It's almost always good to ride with someone new as their particular style will push you to do things you're not in the habit of doing. Ben really likes attacking at the bottom of hills and rollers to maintain momentum, something I used to do myself when I was younger. That was fun. He's also a very fast descender so holding his wheel on the downhills was a challenge. All in all a really fun ride marred only by Heidi flipping out 'cause she thought I was going to be back an hour or so earlier than I was. That anxiety fueled anger led to any number of subsidiary flip outs through the evening till it all finally calmed down around bedtime - slept like the dead.

Take it easy

Waking up this morning feeling tired, but also loose and painfree, was yet more proof that targetted rest or taking it easy is the best way to get strong and healthy. Yesterday my entire left side from the hip to the knee was sore and the tightness spread all the way to my ankle. As much as I wanted to stay on the program for the week and go hard and hilly I instead rode on the flats in a baby gear for just an hour or so. All day Advil as well as a longer stretching regime in the evening was the frosting to this recovery cake. I can actually feel my legs itching for a long hard ride today. Desire for the workout is the only way to actually improve and being healthy and rested are the engines of that desire.

Today's is a cautionary tale. Yesterday I was out on the Eisentraut time trial bike. Now I don't spend much time on this bike and it was the first day of the three day training cycle so I conciously took it easy. But I did go an hour and a half instead of the customary hour and I did stay seated and pushed the bigger gears that this bike has over the rollers. Today I am paying the piper. My left thigh is sore from hip to knee and I'm feeling pretty unmotivated to get on the bike today. Always best to take it a little easier when it's something new.

Weekend Riding

Sometimes the weekend delivers quality riding, sometimes quantity, sometimes neither, rarely both. This weekend was no exception with quality being the key word, and exceptional quality it was. A cool clear windy 8:00 am on Saturday starts by heading up Cuesta Grade on 101 N from SLO. Just before the climb began two strong riders blow past me with polite hellos - props to that. I hate riders who go by without a glance or a word, even in a race, much less in casual training. I'm not warmed up so I cool my jets and warm my knees for a few more slow minutes before the climbing begins. They start the climb a good 1/4 mile ahead of me. I purposely climb easily as a long one is on the schedule and I don't want to burn all my matches in the first hour. After a few minutes it seems I'm gaining on them and about half way up the climb I'm closing on them. I take it steady and am happy to catch them a mile or so from the top. We chat and finish the climb together and then ride together till I peel off for a coke and a water bottle top up. I'm feeling stoked at catching these guys without going into severe lactic overload and this realization gives me the motivation to go long - always hard on a solo ride. My legs reward me by feeling great all day both uphill and on the flats. The only bummer of the day was catching my wheel in a rut at high speed descending "the grade", and having the dubiouus pleasure of correcting a full rear wheel skid at 40mph.