8/3/23 7:14 AM

Found a local road racing group that does a Wed night fast ride. I went looking for an ass-whuppin and I found one.

Pacline was hitting +27mph for extended periods, constant attacks, etc. My max speed was over 40 trying to chase down one attack. I, of course, wanted to 'prove myself' on the first ride with these blokes, did a strong pull, and couldn't get latch back on to the end of the paceline....dangled off the back with them in sight about 350m up the road for about 4mi as I hammered to try to catch them. The only reason I did get back was that even though this was a drop ride the front group did stop to wait a couple times. In the end I eventually got dropped for good and suffered back the last few miles on my own, completely swimming in lactic acid.

Woke up this morning and my whole body is completely numb and can barely function. Overnight RHR and HRV are at their worst values, by a lot, for over a year. Instead of my usual oatmeal breakfast I slammed a half dozen eggs and about half a pound of venison sausage because my body was screaming for protein to rebuild the muscle fibres I shredded. I'm completely wrecked.

I love it. Can't wait to do it again.

8/3/23 2:46 PM

Stress, recover, stress. Something I quit doing at about age 65 :)

8/3/23 3:50 PM

Be careful with protein consumption. Your body cannot store any excess and it is sressful on your kidneys to metabolize/ dispose of excess. Probably better to consume moderate amounts daily, whatever that is. As a diabetic, we are told not to consume excess protein, but nobody seems to know what moderate is.

8/4/23 1:42 AM

"I quit doing at about age 65"


Yeah, on the weeks my normal riding accidentally, gets all the efforts, recovery timing really well and I start getting faster... [relative term] ahem..

I think what schedule I might adopt to gain fitness, speed etc. But @66 I think again and just decide to take the good days as they fall, and just ride ride ride.

The amount of time and effort to 'gain' at 66.. well I got other stuff I am doing without that much of each week eating up time, as it is a way slower process.

8/4/23 9:07 AM

I'm 53, got a few years of potentially being competitive left and I want to make the most of them. I missed out on the last 20 year for a lot of reasons but I've got the bug again. I'm the happiest I've been in a long time and I know that riding/training/suffering/improving has a lot to do with it.

Here's a probably rather boring video of me getting dropped the other day...I'd totally forgotten what this sort of effort was really like and my body was not ready for it. I've been doing 100% of my training solo and this hit me like a ton of bricks.

https://www.facebook.com/621322213/videos/677684287122730/

8/5/23 7:59 AM

It seems that you simply pulled too long and too hard. It appears that you accelerated when you hit the front, which is a classic no-no. Combined with the length of the pull, that's pretty much "paceline suicide". ;-)

8/5/23 8:10 AM

Couple that with slowing down too much when you pull off so you have to accelerate to get back on….good bye….:)

8/5/23 8:43 AM

That's what 2 decades off gets ya. Lessons learned

8/5/23 2:18 PM

Love the term paceline suicide. I've seen SO many people commit hari kari at the front of the pace line.

8/5/23 3:15 PM

I'll have to copyright that. Everyone here gets to use it royalty-free!

Rob, what was with the guy who dropped back with you? It looked like he could have jumped onto the end of the line, but he didn't and - presumably - jumped on your wheel instead.

8/5/23 3:31 PM

He also ended up in the lantern rouge groupetto with me and the guy whose wheel I failed to hold on to. He didn't look at all distressed so I'm guessing he just felt the pace was too fast for what he wanted to do that night. He'd catch up on the regroups and just slide off the back again.

Even with a couple stops to regroup the main group averaged 25.7mph. It was a hammerfest, to be sure.

I later committed solo suicide as well...after the first regroup the guy on the TT bike, who by his own admission brought that purely to put the hurt to the rest of the team, took off and I chased that rabbit while everyone else formed up into a line like sensible people. Was absolutely flying, hit 42mph/112rpm and got within about 25m of him before legs went boom again.

8/6/23 12:44 AM

I have to say Rob, at the end of the day/ride it sounds you were elated for the journey. ;)

We went by a junior off the circuit from Slovenia just balling about lap 7 of 10x 14.2. Behind the barrier having watched all that work it takes to qualify for the Worlds evaporate. Didn't see why, evidence of a fall, etc.

Elaine and I felt/saw one of own and felt it. I wanted to go pat him on the back and say something, thought that counts perhaps.