smack down night

Hoping to avoid being Major Kong'd tonight.

I did actually get out for a run this morning with Lucy. First run since... um... I dunno maybe December, or November. It has been a good bit of time.

So I started with the 5 min run, then walked about 5 min, then ran for another 5 min before walking a 5 min cool down. It is way lighter up here in the morning than down south in North Carolina, even on the outer banks. I like morning light.

Wasn't so bad. Took it really easy on the ride in - spun it and slowly caught one of my bike commuting co-workers and chatted for the remainder of the duration. Legs felt neither here nor there but the spinning and low torque felt good.

So yeah. This is awesome. Been sitting here since early this morning, the post that is. Busy day at the factory. Well an exciting morning followed by 3 hours of lab safety training. We do Haz Waste training annually but lab safety is every 5 years, meaning - it has been 5 years since I started out here.

Almost deserves a reflective (introspective) post all in it self. 5 years ago I was at least 30 pounds heavier than I am now. I could wear 501s only because i needed a 38w x 36l and that combo worked for that fat skinny legged me. Now, well, i'm back to the cyclist conundrum as to what freaking pants can I purchase that I can actually get on over my thighs and butt.

I was slow then way back then. No thoughts of racing until showing up at CX nationals and watching the 35+ B race thinking, you know, i could do that race. I naively thought that I could beat most of them, but hey, I was a typical delusional "returning to cycling 'old' dude". As in I thought I could race masters w/o a problem. It is just a bunch of old dudes like me, that 35+ race. No problem.

Hah.

Looking at CTurd's video seeing the front row starting position in the B masters race. Ctodd on one end. Me on the other. Starting from the front row! That was SUPER COOL. It also set up some bad habits in racing. Jumping from the gun and fading. And not really learning to pace or what I needed to sustain it.

I'm no where close to figuring it out well enough to hang with the front of the 35+ now. Well that's not true, I'm just not anywhere disciplined or talented enough to get there with the amount of work I put into training. But damn, I'm way a hell of a lot closer than when I started.

5 years is a long time.

It has gone by in a flash.

This season brings new challenges, but hopefully I can learn from the past and maybe not make all of the same mistakes again, or at least make new ones that I can learn from.

No time to dally with thoughts and remarks and the what not any more than that.

Stuff to do... going to be positive... going to focus on my strengths on this ride tonight and not let the weaknesses mess it up too much. Going to find something somewhere to push through the tough spots: Austin Road, Douglas Hook Road and Tourtellot Hill Road. They aren't huge hills, but some people just have way better power to weight than I do and that is just the way it is. But I know if I can hang on at those spots once we hit 116 and Greenville on the way home, I can make them struggle a bit. I know my recovery is doing pretty well lately, I just have to push and hold on as long as I can before getting gapped in those three places.

At least the weather is nicer than last week.

be good, be safe, ride smart

heddwch
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