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Thursday, June 07, 2007
OH, my... I realized I didn't post my fun fun ride Monday which doesn't qualify as a commute... hmmm...
I rode the 10 mile long-way to the MOnday Manic/ ride with moderate ferocity. That, it would seem, is The Great Effort Equalizer.A Study (long and boring! For the benefit of the housebound...) in Riding Pretty Fast:
When someone I'll call Power Tap Man took off with the Beyond Manic Men, I was challenged... could I last as long as he could? I hopped onto the tail end also and we charged into the 25 mph wind. There was a brief battle with the "You Can't Go This Fast" entity which tenses up the shoulders and arms and, indeed, means that I can't go that fast, and the "Marvelous Machine" entity which relaxes the parts that aren't working and opens the lungs and propels me... well, *almost* as fast as these guys were going! Then Gravel, wind , traffic and a "jog" in the road sent PTM careening off the road (still on the wheels).
One rider and I hung back to pull him up... but the one rider Went Too Fast for either of us (or, perhaps me... but we both dropped back). We glanced behind and the Merely Manic group was just behind, so we ... what?!? slow down ?!? We kept riding hard. I tucked in behind out of necessity thinking, "now we can let them catch us."
Nope.
Then he flashed the Universal Signal For Changing Places (patted his charming butt). I took a turn, slowing things down just a titch... and he pulled around and that gap remained and The Machine kept rolling.
An Overpass! This excites my machine and I said, "I'll take that hill!" and took over to charge *most* of the way up it, until he said, "at the T, which way will they go? Left is 25 miles, right is 20." He still had breath! I wheezed something. He said, "Let's wait at the T"
The five Merely Manic riders arrived rather quickly and commented on our inspiration , and wheeled to the left without pause. We hopped in, and I inquired of PTM, in the shelter of the group where we could almost breathe, "Why didn't we think of this before?" PTM says, "I would have, except there was this cattle prod in my butt."
"I was just following you!"
"It's all good."
Is it good to be referred to as a cattle prod? It was in the most loving way....
We proceeded merrily, with the two front Merely Manics being the strongest of us all and doing most of the pulling, to the DQ where stories were told of attempts to keep up with the More than Manic group. Then off again! down the well-shaded Sunny Acres Road, when what do we see on the horizon? RABBITS!!! Two MorethanManics ... our two front guys took off, with PTM next, and my slow-accelerating soul keepin' 'em in sight, that alas-not-so-ferocious-wind behind us with the two "last" Merely Manic riders. Magically, we managed to mesh with the Monday Moderates (a third group starting from the same point) - without incident, and we regrouped when our Front Guy had succeeded in catching, but not dropping, the More than Manics Just To Show Them.
I had my commute home - so there is a little bit about commuting! - to cool down the well-cooked legs. I had enough to spin an extra mile out so I'd average 331/3 for June (which I will lose today!) ... but not five miles which would have meant I did a metric.
Endorphins R Us :) :)
I rode the 10 mile long-way to the MOnday Manic/ ride with moderate ferocity. That, it would seem, is The Great Effort Equalizer.A Study (long and boring! For the benefit of the housebound...) in Riding Pretty Fast:
When someone I'll call Power Tap Man took off with the Beyond Manic Men, I was challenged... could I last as long as he could? I hopped onto the tail end also and we charged into the 25 mph wind. There was a brief battle with the "You Can't Go This Fast" entity which tenses up the shoulders and arms and, indeed, means that I can't go that fast, and the "Marvelous Machine" entity which relaxes the parts that aren't working and opens the lungs and propels me... well, *almost* as fast as these guys were going! Then Gravel, wind , traffic and a "jog" in the road sent PTM careening off the road (still on the wheels).
One rider and I hung back to pull him up... but the one rider Went Too Fast for either of us (or, perhaps me... but we both dropped back). We glanced behind and the Merely Manic group was just behind, so we ... what?!? slow down ?!? We kept riding hard. I tucked in behind out of necessity thinking, "now we can let them catch us."
Nope.
Then he flashed the Universal Signal For Changing Places (patted his charming butt). I took a turn, slowing things down just a titch... and he pulled around and that gap remained and The Machine kept rolling.
An Overpass! This excites my machine and I said, "I'll take that hill!" and took over to charge *most* of the way up it, until he said, "at the T, which way will they go? Left is 25 miles, right is 20." He still had breath! I wheezed something. He said, "Let's wait at the T"
The five Merely Manic riders arrived rather quickly and commented on our inspiration , and wheeled to the left without pause. We hopped in, and I inquired of PTM, in the shelter of the group where we could almost breathe, "Why didn't we think of this before?" PTM says, "I would have, except there was this cattle prod in my butt."
"I was just following you!"
"It's all good."
Is it good to be referred to as a cattle prod? It was in the most loving way....
We proceeded merrily, with the two front Merely Manics being the strongest of us all and doing most of the pulling, to the DQ where stories were told of attempts to keep up with the More than Manic group. Then off again! down the well-shaded Sunny Acres Road, when what do we see on the horizon? RABBITS!!! Two MorethanManics ... our two front guys took off, with PTM next, and my slow-accelerating soul keepin' 'em in sight, that alas-not-so-ferocious-wind behind us with the two "last" Merely Manic riders. Magically, we managed to mesh with the Monday Moderates (a third group starting from the same point) - without incident, and we regrouped when our Front Guy had succeeded in catching, but not dropping, the More than Manics Just To Show Them.
I had my commute home - so there is a little bit about commuting! - to cool down the well-cooked legs. I had enough to spin an extra mile out so I'd average 331/3 for June (which I will lose today!) ... but not five miles which would have meant I did a metric.
Endorphins R Us :) :)
