It took me 11 attempts. When I first started I aimed for 9 or 10 attempts.
Usually when I got dropped it was because my legs simply gave up. I'd try but I had no energy left to push harder and the pack would sail past. Today there was none of that. We even had a lot of red lights which make the ride hard because the lead riders have a rest then take off at warp 8.
My tactic in all these group rides has always been to try to stay in the front third. This allows for being slow to clip in at a green light and to not get dropped on that hill. I also try to find a larger rider to draft.
Now why did I complete it today?
Was it the fact we had a long weekend last weekend and I rode an extra 130km including an 82km ride? I did have slightly sore/stiff legs and did absolutely no exercise for 2 days until todays ride. Was that extra weekend effort enough to just put me up to a new level?
Was it the fact there was a two day event on the table lands over the weekend and these guys, who probably competed, were just taking it easy?
Was it the first use of GU energy gel?
I'd like to think it was. That'd be an easy way to gain such a big benefit.
The calories for this ride were actually the lowest of any of the 11 rides I've done but I'd put that down to the fact I was in the pack the entire time drafting and not out by myself for a third of the ride like I usually am.
My thoughts :
I do feel the pack was going a little slower but it may have only been an illusion because I was riding so well. I still had to hit 36km/h up that little hill (I call it little now I'm one of the elite riders
) and 51.4km/h somewhere on the course.
I doubt they were taking it easy because I was on the bike just as many hours as they were and although not going as hard, it was a big effort for me plus they had the Tuesday ride to 'take it easy'.
Todays average speed was 33.6km/h (for 30km of the 35km) which was faster than I've done it before. The problem judging if they were going slow is that I've always taken short cuts so even today I only got details for the first 30km to add to my spreadsheet for comparison to the other rides. The ride is actually 34 or 35 km and that last 4 or 5km was up to 48km/h. Even at that speed I went from 7th to about 7th last out of 30. I was riding at 48km/h and the were pasting me, turds!
I reckon it was the 82km weekend ride giving me a little more stamina and the GU giving me the extra energy when I normally run out. I felt good the entire ride and was looking forward to the final sprint
and didn't feel buggered even when hitting 48km/h towards the end. Well maybe a little when hitting 48km/h but not as bad as when I used to get dropped at 40km/h.
I'll have to start my spreadsheet of results again with the details for the entire 35km ride. No wait . . . I'll see if I can go with them again before I do that.
Anyway, after today's effort I'm feeling confident for the next two races. A criterium and a road race.
I'm in third place overall in D grade with the current first place already gone up to C grade so he's out of the picture and the current second place contemplating going to C grade. I wouldn't mind if he stayed, he's only 7 points ahead and about my age, weight and fitness level. The big threat is the current 4th place (2 points behind me) who is an ex C grader, only raced two thirds of the races this season and doing very well winning the last couple of races. I missed a race due to a flat battery, looks like that could be the difference between an overall place or two at the end of the season.
The next rider is over 20 points behind so if the current second place stays, I'm looking at a third place at worst in my first season assuming no injuries. Can't complain about that, unless there were only 3 riders in D grade.
