aikigreg
|
There were a lot of bents lined up for this one. It's a fairly flat course to look at the face of it, but the first 10 miles are a gentle upslope that will wear you out. Rollers on the back side, and flat with a couple jills for the last leg of the 21 mile loop. I've not really been in the best of health since 2010. Unknown heart issues, severe weight gain due to arthritis medication, and quad tendonitis resulting from the weight gain and subsequently tearing myself up to get rid of it. In the last year and a half I think I've done one century. So I've been working to just get healthy and While the weight isn't coming off I've hit on a formula that seems to be letting me ride stronger. So Hope this is the first step back in a long recovery. Truthfully, this is one of the best - probably the best, solo races I've ever done - just not the fastest. I kept heart rate, power output, and speed steady and didn't over-reach my first lap. Matter of fact, I got steadily stronger as the day went on. I did the 6 hour race. Started off kinda cold with no winds, finished warm with very strong winds in my face for the hard first leg of the lap. Totals: 106 miles, 5:46 minutes on bike. AVG Speed 18.4 Avg power 233 watts, HR avg 143 Max 161 Lap 1: 1h8min, speed 18.5, 142 HR, 211 watts avg power. Laps 2 & 3 (combined): 2h19min, speed 18.3, 141 HR, 2301 watts avg Lap 4: 1h10min, speed 18.3, 142 HR, 242 watts avg Lap 5 (wind really picked up): 1h7min, speed 18.5, 148 HR, 253 watts avg. And I could have kept going! Just imagining what I could do with that power at 40 pounds less. By comparison, last year I could only stay on the bike 5h16, with a 16.2 avg and 116 watts. Don't have HR data for some reason. Hope this is the start of something good. Incidentally, Bryan whipped my butt again with 120 miles or so. Pretty sure he came in first and beat the standing course record, which is his own.
|