Today’s hill climbs were a little harder than usual, since I’m still recovering from yesterday’s ride. But I’m glad I went. I’m starting to get the hang of road bikes and road riding in general. I told our head coach that although I’ve ridden for years, I never had anyone tell me the right way to do things. I’ve just read tips in magazines and worked my ass off, but the various exercises and drills are starting to pay off. I can definitely tell the difference! It’s not just about how hard I work, but how efficiently I ride.
Anyway, about the ride. Despite the weather forecast that was only half right (yes, it didn’t rain, but it never got sunny either), I decided to go out with just shorts, a long-sleeve jersey and a windbreaker. I was cold at the start, but warmed up within the first two miles.
The first climb was really hard, probably due to all the riding we did the day before. On the second climb, we were encouraged to spin our way to the top (low gear, high cadence). This was no problem for me because I do that anyway. The third climb was our standing climb. I did pretty well on this one, only sitting and spinning for a few hundred feet the whole way up. After the third climb, Patrick told us we’d be doing five, so I took the fourth climb kinda easy and even had a little conversation with Harold, one of our mentors. The fifth climb was our photo op; we ride all the way to the top and wait for the whole group for a pic. I did that one in and out of the saddle just trying to get to the top any way I could.
The ride home was something else. With dry roads and a real need to keep warm, I rode as hard as I could. I also hit the turns pretty fast. It was fun!
Next Saturday, we ride 42 miles. It’ll officially be the farthest I’ve ever ridden. I’m looking forward to it!