Don't be late.


Or the Saturday morning group ride will leave without you. I got to the ride late Saturday and when I was pulling into the parking lot they were leaving. I thought great...They are going to be in a paceline and I won't catch them till maybe the turnaround at 34 miles where they would probably stop. They had a 9 min lead on me. It was 85 degrees when I left the parking lot. I figured I would have fun trying to catch and if I did catch then I would have something to feel good about. After 9 miles I caught a group of the Slow Spokes...nothing to feel good about but maybe...just maybe. I passed the last straggler at mile 17 who fell off the pace and knew that the next group would be the paceline I just might make it.

The heat on the pavement makes mirages....and everynow and then I would think there they are...but only to find it nothing but air, until I did get a good glimpse of a yellow jersey going around a curve. I dropped the hammer...but after 2 miles of flat road I knew I couldn't make ground....Please let there be hills to give me a chance. There were a couple of hills just enough to slow down the group(group riders generally slow on the hills out of laziness and they would not have the aero advantage). But then I lost sight again on a long slight decline. By this time I am way too deep anaerobicly but I figured I would get a break on the way back because I could sit in the pack and relax. After the next set of hills I finally caught the group which turned out to be 4 riders. Their speed had just dropped because they were getting tired from their high pace. It couldn't have been that high because I caught them...right? But anyway we got to the turnaround at RockySprings and the ride back was extremely hot and 2 of the 4 had dropped off and I cruised back with a guy who could carry on a conversation so it turned out ok...slow but a beautiful ride on the Natchez Trace south of Jackson.

Back to the hills.