Earning my stripes
The weather people were right and wrong. It didn’t snow or rain and the wind wasn’t that bad, but there’s no way the mercury ever touched 40 today (at least not at any time before I got home from my ride at 3:30). This morning, when I got up, the temperature was in the high 20’s. By the time I got out there it was a little warmer, but still pretty cold. I’m happy to say that I did dress exactly right. Except for my cheeks, fingers and toes, at no point was I hot or cold. And even my fingers and toes weren’t that bad. I brought a pair of gloves that I could have used as liners and handwarmers, but I didn’t need either. All that being said, it wasn’t really that enjoyable. I’m definitely beginning to feel that suffering through these workouts will make me stronger when it really counts.
Anyway, my goal was 3 1/2 hours and/or 60 miles. I ended up riding the 60 miles, but it took me a little longer than I’d expected. In Prospect Park, I was probably averaging around 18mph, but the trip there and back were pretty slow. The trip back from Prospect Park was pretty slow on crowded streets and I tried a new way, which might have been safer but definitely took longer. I was supposed to keep my heart rate in zones 1 and 2, but I spent a fair amount of time in zone 3 and each time I got to the big hill, my heart rate spiked and, since I went up that hill 15 times, my heart rate was in zones 4 and 5 a bit too much. One other problem with cold weather riding is that it’s considerably more of an effort to eat and drink while riding. I could grab my water bottles without too much hassle, but each time I wanted to drink I had to re-position my balaclava, which is sort of a pain. And accessing my jacket pockets was nearly impossible. Even getting at the two gels that I taped to my top tube took effort. Therefore, I didn’t eat or drink nearly enough. I was fine until 50-something miles, when I started to feel the fatigue and calorie deficit. Thankfully, I was nearly done in the Park. When I finished my laps, I stopped and hungrily gobbled down half a Clif Bar. (Not that that’s a lot of food, but it was actual food and I needed the calories.)
I felt pretty good the entire ride. My legs got pretty tired for the last ten or so miles and my back and butt were aching some around then too, but I definitely could have kept at it, especially had I been fueling smarter. I don’t think I’m anywhere near being able to do the 112 at a pace I’d be pleased with, but I’m light-years ahead of where I was at this point last year.
Time: 3:51:51
Distance: 61 miles
Average heart rate: 127
Course: Brooklyn Bridge to Prospect Park, 15+ laps
Conditions: Cold, cloudy, 32 degrees (before windchill)