In short, I got my arse handed to me by some serious racers.  It was awesome.  A couple are guys who are quite often finishing very well in road racers and crits.  Very efficient at working in a pack together - so much so that I was NEVER able to rest going downhill, and on the flats on the way back I had to sit back and watch and just marvel at their efficiency of the two lines constantly rotating into pulls with the group of 8 I ended up with.
 
I rode from my house to the start - 8 miles - to the benbrook YMCA.  I already knew I was in trouble because my legs had no giddyap thanks, I'm sure, to my hard hill intervals Monday and my weightlifting last night.    I started sucking down the gel just to try and work some carbs into my system.  The ride goes from  the Y through Benbrook dam to 377, right turn at Mcdaniel, right onto Kelly.  Both of these roads have some nasty hills - or at least are nasty when you're trying to keep up with an experienced pack of 30 roadies.    
 
There are several breakaways before 377 but there is  a regroup of sorts at the turn onto Mcdaniel, where the pack slows down and coasts to let others catch up.  One guy touched my rear wheel slightly but didn't go down.  Once it's on, it's ON for 17 solid miles.  24-28mph.  I barely stayed with the large second group - I hadn't realized a group of 4 had already broken away and was gone.   Once we hit the long long climb up Kelly Rd, I started reeling in some roadies and they were tucking behind me for all they were worth.  My legs were SHOT by now and I was sure I would get dropped and get lost and not be able to find my way back .  
 
Thankfully, there is a great downhill and some rollers that let me catch up and pass and hit the second group, which was only a group of 4 now.  They dropped me again at the next hill, big time - I had nothing left for climbing.  I caught up to them though just before the regrouping point.  
 
Getting 5 minutes to catch my breath made all the difference. When I started out with the group of 8 doing the longer 31 mile route.  The terrain was mostly flat so I either did little surges ahead or stayed behind to watch the group work. We rolled at an easy 25 back to 377 and I hung with them through all the surges, even the sprints up to 30.  I feel absolutely blown out right now though.  Tomorrow is an OFF day.
 
Some of the bunch never would talk to me, but many were friendly, especially the guys from the MBBC who were on the ride.  One of them, Nathan, recognized me from the TTTT - he was partnered with Beertruck last year.  We had a good chat and I pedaled the 8 miles back home.
 
Totals - 46.70 miles.  
For the actual training loop of 31 miles I had:
151 average HR max 177
217 watts avg. max 699 - pretty proud of that.
20.0 average speed - not bad considering all the stops and slow rolling.  
 
It was certainly all I could handle.  I didn't "do the demo" by any stretch - I barely kept up.  But it was superb training - I think.  I'm sure once I stop being sore and shaky I'll actually believe it!

Most definitely. I know there are tons of riders around who can leave me in the dust.  I'm thankful to have found some I can train with and don't have to drive an hour each way for.
 
Basically the route we took was:  Benbrook ymca, though the park to Dutch branch park along the lake- take a dollar to get through the gate.   Park ends at 377.  Cross and go south down 377 for just a little bit and take a right on Mcdaniel.  Mcdaniel ends at a T at Kelly Rd.  R on Kelly.  Kelly ends at a T and take a right (dunno the road's name).  It's just a mile or two and this road does a Y instead of a T.  I took the right turn which takes you all the way back to a light on 377.  Cross and turn left and you're quickly back at the park.  Go back through the way you came and viola.
 
I have the garmin data and route at my account at trainingpeaks.com that you can view - you'll just hafta ignore the repeated 8 mile ride to and from my house.
 
 
Quote from robert.j on May 22^nd, 2009, 8:24am:

Quote from FlyingLaZBoy on May 24^th, 2009, 6:10pm:

 
Yeah I'd like to come out and ride with lots of different clubs, but this is so awesome being able to ride to the start!