Power Laps x 9

Nine laps is equivalent to 39.15 miles in just under 4 hours. I should probably just call them laps because there really was not much power involved. But really, who cares? Sometimes this stuff just isn't any fun. Today was a good example. I was planning on starting at around 8 A.M., but was delayed at home. Grasshopper called me saying that nobody had shown up for the Saturday morning road ride and he would meet me at the park. By the time I arrived he had already started and I had no idea where he was planning on going. So I just went with my plan to do 10 laps which would be 40+ miles. Perfect training for Cheqaumegon. I made sure that I had plenty of fluids and enough nutritional supplements for the entire ride. I always throw extra stuff in my bag, but no way would I consume all that on a 40 mile ride. Can say gastrointestinal problems. I did however rediscover the perfect energy food...Fig Newtons! Absolutely fantastic stuff and quite tasty I must say. Only issue is crumbling, I'm now looking for the perfect container to carry them in.

Wrong! Didn't matter because by the end of lap #8 I was pretty much gone anyway. I did number nine because I was just pissed off. My ass was sore, my lower back was killing me, and my legs were, well, pretty much fried. Those last two laps (8 & 9) had no redeeming qualities in them at all aside from the pain and misery they caused. Maybe they put a little fiber in my character. By the time I got back to my car and then the health club I was hobbling around like some old man.

The first half of the ride was a good deal of fun, but that last lap totally sucked. I should have called it quits after number seven, when I resorted to the granny gear on many of the hills, but I felt that I would be wimping out. So I continued to push. After lap five I stopped at the car quick to grab a couple of gels and wipe my chain down and put some fresh lubricant on it. A quiet bike is a fast bike, but of course you need to have legs for that. Pretty much end of story. When I got home I took three Ibuprofen, drank a bottle of Gatorade and enjoyed a nap. That's what Kenny would have done accept I'm sure there would have been a beer in there somewhere just for good measure. Now, I'm dying of starvation and our refrigerator is empty. Guess we will be going out to eat. Not all bad I guess. Grocery shopping tomorrow! That is, after I go out and do this again. At this point, much will depend on how my back feels in the morning. We are supposed to meet at 9 A.M., but I will probably try to get there earlier.

I'm sick of training and can hardly wait until I can get on the bike just to go for a fun ride like last weekend up on the North Shore. Fall brings early darkness, cool nights, and night rides. Oh, and of course commuting back and forth to school. Hopefully 2-3 days a week. Fortunately I have that to look forward to and of course snow and snow biking. Now there is some fun!!