2011; Back on the Road Again!

It's been a while since I have updated this blog.  Of course it has been cold and snowing for the past 3 months, and I have taken some time to ski and work on s few projects that had been blown-off for too long.  My winter routine had been in place, hitting the gym about 4 times per week and spending 1/2 hour on the weight machines followed by 1/2 and hour on the elliptical.  Much to my surprise, I have found myself unemployed.

Due to the decline in the newspaper industry my position has been eliminated. I find this is an opportunity which I haven't had in probably 30 years. An extended period of time with out a need for a regular schedule, or any plan at all for that matter. The job hunt is on, but until the opportunity arises, I'm thinking about cycling.

Friday February 18th, 2011, a day with pay, but nowhere to go. My position was released on February 17,  but I received an addition day of pay. The weather was good, sunny, sixty and windy. I decided to drive to Shaker Trace at Miami Whitewater Forest, on the west side of Hamilton County, Ohio. I have found that Shaker Trace is a good benchmark for my conditioning. A good day to put my legs to the test on the wind. I was happy to be "free" of any concerns over work related issues, and I just dropped into a steady pace, and looped the 8 mile route 4 times. On one of the loops, a guy in a blue cycling jersey passed me. The wind was blowing hard, my pace had settled in around 15 to 16 miles per hour, based on my gear. ( I took my cycling computer off of the bike last year, feeling the computer a distraction and unnecessary.)

The "Mr. Blue Jersey" hung out in front of me for a couple of miles. I looked at his gear when he passed, he was pushing hard on the wind in a big gear. That's a bad mistake for a distance cyclist. The lactic acid builds in the muscles until you start to bomb out. You would have to train hard and monitor your condition very closely maintain that pace for an extended period of time. He bombed out about 4.5 miles into the trail, as he was failing I took advantage of the slight grade, passed him doing about 25, and kept on until I couldn't see him in my rear view any longer. Then settled back into a cruise at 15 to 16 mph.


It is a good idea to know your own capabilities and limitations.