imploded
August 26th, 2005, 09:46 AM
Got up at 5:30 for a "training" ride (i.e. balls to the wall). Drank some Cytomax preperf, let it hit, and hopped on the bike. Queued up an OLD (1998 vintage) mp3 playlist, a mishmash of my favorites from high school.
Did a long (.9) road climb, average grade 8% with pitches at 12. One of the hardest things I've ever done, mentally and physically. Harder than 1000 yards of burpees in high school football, harder than two rugby matches back to back with a raging hangover, and harder than any contract negotiation I've done to date. Getting to the top was like getting high, just bliss. I plan on doing this as a part of my climbing training (becoming a better, stronger climber) regularly from now on.
Rode up to Blackstone Heritage (Tri Valley), and spun at max the whole way through. Early AM, music going, air cool, woods empty, lines clean (except for a couple piles of horse crap). On the way back out, I ran into the Uxbridge High School Girls Cross Country team. I scared them as I came out of the bowl, of course in my own world. Not really a positive ambassador for mtb at that moment, but I stopped before I got to them and gave them the trail. Nice view, I now understand the "As I get older, they keep staying the same", but I felt like a dirtbag at the same time ;D
After showering at home, I stood in front of my dresser and realized that the day was downhill from here. My favorite activity was over for now, and I wanted to be back out in the woods. I had more in the tank than I expected (at the end of 12 miles I felt like I could easily go out and pound out 5-7 more) and, well, it was a little depressing. But I'll ride tonight with my fiancee to make up for it :)
Cheers,
-Andrew
stuck in a plastic cage in a room with no windows
Did a long (.9) road climb, average grade 8% with pitches at 12. One of the hardest things I've ever done, mentally and physically. Harder than 1000 yards of burpees in high school football, harder than two rugby matches back to back with a raging hangover, and harder than any contract negotiation I've done to date. Getting to the top was like getting high, just bliss. I plan on doing this as a part of my climbing training (becoming a better, stronger climber) regularly from now on.
Rode up to Blackstone Heritage (Tri Valley), and spun at max the whole way through. Early AM, music going, air cool, woods empty, lines clean (except for a couple piles of horse crap). On the way back out, I ran into the Uxbridge High School Girls Cross Country team. I scared them as I came out of the bowl, of course in my own world. Not really a positive ambassador for mtb at that moment, but I stopped before I got to them and gave them the trail. Nice view, I now understand the "As I get older, they keep staying the same", but I felt like a dirtbag at the same time ;D
After showering at home, I stood in front of my dresser and realized that the day was downhill from here. My favorite activity was over for now, and I wanted to be back out in the woods. I had more in the tank than I expected (at the end of 12 miles I felt like I could easily go out and pound out 5-7 more) and, well, it was a little depressing. But I'll ride tonight with my fiancee to make up for it :)
Cheers,
-Andrew
stuck in a plastic cage in a room with no windows