Sunday, June 03, 2007

Censored

While considering a post detailing my more recent bike workout, a perfect title came to mind. And was immediately censored by my internal content control board. After all, I have kids.

The concept for the title was directly related to the ride itself. I was on my bike for nearly 5 1/2 hours. That's a LONG bike ride, no matter how you look at it.

There were lots of rolling hills, and that always makes for a HARD ride.

AND it was pouring down rain for about 9o minutes of the bike. Needless to say, I got very WET.

Since I won't be using the title, you'll just have to wonder. There's just no way I could possibly post it. Just trust me that it was very suggestive.

The training schedule called for a four hour ride. And when my training partner suggested meeting him at a nearby airport where he would be attending an airshow, I was game. Sure, we knew the airport was around 45 miles from my house. Sure, we knew it was to be an easy ride. But hey, what's an extra hour or so of training among friends.

It was already raining as I sat in the garage putting on my shoes. Hey, sometimes it rains on race day (a phrase whose lesson I never seem to learn). I headed out, and was promptly soaked. The rain lasted for the first 45 minutes of the ride.

Riding past the street where my training partner lives, about 17 miles into the ride, I hit roads on which I had never ridden, before. Apparently, a bit more attention to elevation maps would have been prudent. Most of the next 25 miles was one long set of rolling hills. Finding a groove was difficult, and a graph of my speed would closely resemble a sine wave. But at least the rain had stopped.

After just under 2 1/2 hours, I hit the airfield where I was to meet my training partner. It seems the rain that hampered the first hour of my ride had also hampered the planes at the show, and the performances were running 30-45 minutes behind schedule. Rather than wait too long, I headed back on my own.

Sadly, the hills hadn't changed one bit in the interim.

About 20 miles out from home, the rain started, again. Though it only lasted about 20 minutes this time around, it was more than enough to thoroughly soak me a second time.

All together, I spent 4:57 in the saddle, covering just over 88 miles. If I had really thought it through, I would have just added the extra 12 miles and completed the century. Then again, I was wet. Who can think with that kind of rain?

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Brilliant non-title, IP!

Michelle said...

But you persevered.....Rain be damned.

S. Baboo said...

Red...hmmm, sounds like quite a ride!

Tri-Dummy said...

Good ride...personally, I enjoy riding in the rain.

Unknown said...

well, you got a great would-be title out of it.

Doris said...

Sounds like a great session - physically and mentally. Personally I'm thus far a fair weather cyclist (unless I'm on my mtb in which case getting wet and muddy is part of the thrill).... I ought to go for a ride in the rain one day just to get over it - but I think I'm more likely to do 8 rather then 88miles!!!

Dances with Corgis said...

I'm amazed that you know your pace well enough to meet your training partner "two and a half hours out." That would never work for me.

Sounds like a great deposit in the bank, Pol. I'll shoot for something equal this weekend.

Di said...

Animal. (you decide how to apply it, wink wink)

Joy | Love | Chaos said...

saw this tidbit from averageathlete about a change to the louisville swim course...thought you'd be interested...

http://averageathlete.com/

Bigun said...

When you've reached the climax of a ride, there's usually no good reason to keep pushing - now if you had gone in a different direction, switched it up a bit, you may have been able to continue. Sometimes it helps to think of something else - a run could have topped it off splendidly. Still, sounds like a great workout, IP - nice job!