One Slow Week

it's been an uneventful week of training since the last race. i sort of tapered off and shut down for a few days before the rain, but with a break between storms on saturday, i did manage to get out and participate in a club ride up the coast. that was actually a blast.
i showed up and introduced myself, and someone recognized my name from the race results. he said they had been wondering who i was and were gald to finally have me show up for a ride. sweet. that feels like pressure. my favorite!
it was only the second time i'd been out with the team/club. i was about 10lbs heavier the first time i'd shown up, and the season hadn't even started yet. so there were a lot of unfamiliar faces. i didn't know who were the fast guys and who was there just to have fun, but once we were all warmed up it became pretty obvious.
rides like these are always fun, because the entire thing usually turns into a good-spirited pissing contest. and it did, and since i was the new guy, i took the opportunity to sit back and watch for a while.
there was even one girl who hung in and took a good pull on the front, and this was about the point i decided i'd better have a go at it, lest they all think i was a wuss.
my first turn up front was nothing special. i really don't know what it is about going north, but i never seem to feel strong in that direction. odd, seeing as there was a tailwind that morning.
there were a couple of separations in the group, and i was able to close those gaps pretty well near the halfway point.
i was hoping for a shot at the sprint to the sign on the hill at the turnaround point, but that never really materialized. everyone just sort of stopped shut down before the bottom of the hill, turned around and started the reverse route into the wind. suck.
once over the first rise, i went up front and began what i hoped would be a short pull. but after a minute or so, no one seemed to want to relieve me, so i pugged away.

for about 5 minutes.

now, considering the typical pull on a training ride paceline is about 30 seconds, i think this qualified as going above and beyond!
it felt great, though. i hadn't done much work to that point, so i figured i should get up there and test myself. plus, i ride this route all the time, and i know i can burn right through this section.
once i let off the gas and moved aside, i got a few "nice work's," and pats on the back, but one guy told me i had just set a new standard =)

can't believe i just boasted about a training ride. it was a confidence-inspiring ride, to say the least, and i guess that's the point.

anyway, it's always nice to get a race pace group ride in whenever possible. you never come way from them without learning something new, meeting new folks, or just generally keeping the skills sharp.

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this weekend is the CBR Dash 4 Cash in dominguez hills, then the week after i'll be racing the Tour De Murrieta, which is a two day stage race. that should be fun. one of the stages is a road race. last time i ventured outside of my criterium comfort zone, i finished pretty poorly. this season is going to be different.