slow & cranky

I work a nine-days-in-two-weeks schedule, and to make the 70 hours for the two weeks, I work eight days of eight hours and one day of six hours. Yesterday was one of my six-hour days, and as it was sunny and 50° when I got home, I did the home-to-Coppermine-and-back loop. (For those of you who don't know, Coppermine Road in Griggstown has a section where it rises between 300-400 feet in about .8 mile, which is a steep enough climb for a training ride.) I started out strong, but choked on the uphill. Then, on the down hill on Old Georgetown (where I can usually make up a bit of the average speed I lost on that benighted climb), I choked due to wet roads and feelin' rusty, and didn't get up much over 34mph. I tried to make it up on the flats, but my average before the cool-down was only 18.1 (I've twice done it at 19, but those days may be gone...).

I had been looking forward to a ride with Laura OLPH and the Hill Slugs for today. The weather prediction early in the week was for weather today like what we actually got yesterday, but as the weekend approached, the forecast got worse, with 50% chance of snow and cold. There was some suggestion that the Slugs might ride later in the day. The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I have a date this afternoon, and I was excessively grumpy over the possibility that the Slugs might go out, and I wouldn't be able to join 'em because of the prior engagement; I'm afraid I was not good company last evening.

Laura made the decision this morning to cancel the ride,and while I'm sorry they didn't go, I'm not sorry that they didn't get a ride in without my being along! (TEW and I have decided that I ride by myself for speed, and I ride with others for friendship and/or camaraderie.) And with time, and weather enough to go out, I did the Coppermine loop again, hoping to improve yesterday's effort.

I did, but not by much, which I'm blaming on cooler temps and more wind. Today I didn't include either the warmup of the cooldown, and while my average of 18.4 is better, it's still not where I'd like to be. I can really feel that I haven't been on the bike much in the past two months.

Laura has plugged in a ride for next weekend, and I'm hoping that scheduling and the weather allow. I miss the people I ride with.

SHAMELESS PLUG: I'm leading a team for the Tour de Franklin metric Century at the end of April. I've got seven riders so far, some of whom I've ridden with a gazillion times, and two of whom I'm not sure I've ever met! We had a great time last year, and, weather permitting, I'm hoping for another good time this year. If you're interested, go sign up, then put a comment in my original post about the ride. I'll get back to you with details.