Country Side Tour

Garmin Connect Ride Data
Ride Summary:
Distance: 52.63 mi
Elevation Gain: 2,622 ft
Time: 03:10:36
Avg Speed: 16.6 mph
Max Speed: 38.2 mph


The Group: Derek, Mike, Peter, Jack, Edgar and me

The Ride: Derek led us out this morning just after 8 am with no real plans and we did not need plans. We had bikes and there were plenty of paved roads ahead so that was the game plan - get on the bikes and ride. The pace was comfortable and with me spending 7 days at the beach last week slacking and doing little I sure needed a calmer ride. I could certainly tell that I had lost some conditioning and then there is Edgar "The Beast" Lebron putting on a blistering pace and tormenting us. He had a really good day and when one is feeling good one must open the engine and let it run. It was good to see Edgar having a great day.

Another one having a great day of performance was a Border Collie type of dog with a very high VO2max. This dog was the craftiest I have seen in a while with a great amount of speed and a look on his face like he was willing to nip an ankle. Fortunately our endurance was a bit better, but he was almost successful in taking a couple of us down. I am sure he has something to boast this evening with the neighborhood dogs.

The pace was spirited at times, but we also had good stretches of conversation paced riding. That was a nice change from the usual hammer fest that can happen in group rides. Derek took us on the flatter roads and even winging it with the route he did a great job leading the way. We did a store stop at mile 20 something and decided to tack on a few more miles since the weather looked like it was going to stay clear for us.

At mile 38 Jack split off from us and went on back using the marked route and we headed out for some more miles. At mile 40 we hit a few hills that split me from the group as my legs were getting too fatigued to keep up with the guys. Derek dropped back and rode in with me on the remaining miles. It is frustrating that I lost that much conditioning in one week, but still nice to be out on the bike with friends and start rebuilding again.

The Weather: Early morning the skies were cloudy and looking like rain, the air was breezy, but as time went on we had partly cloudy skies and 80 degree temperatures. 

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: (1) 24 oz. bottle of water with glutamine and Hammer Heed, (1) Cliff bar, (1) Hammer gel