Okay, so you remember that chest/head cold I was telling you about earlier this week? The one that kept me from school on Monday and that I was still dealing with when I had my colonoscopy? Well, I still had it with me today which totally sucked because I was really looking forward to today's group ride. I finally got it worked out so I could go on a ride with the Open/AA group and I did everything right. I got a good night's sleep, I packed the night before, I hydrated, I did it all - except get over my cold.My habit lately (okay the three times a year I've been riding with these guys - the last ride I had with the group was two months ago) has been to ride to the departure point to loosen up my legs. Only today, I knew from the get go that I didn't have the legs - I just didnt' have the snap in my legs that I normally have.
Then once I got there I saw some very impressive looking riders getting ready. Of course I had my usual preride bicycle envy but I realize that I have to just make do with what I have and focus on stamina, technique and tactics instead of carbon fiber and 10/11 cogs on the back. Now the plan was for the "Open" group (the really fast hammerheads) and the "AA" group (designated as those riders who maintain a 17 to 18 mph average) to begin riding in a parallel fashion - think of it sort of like parallel play with toddlers;
only at 18-25 miles per hour!Well, we started out well enough and I was able to stay right in the mix until we got to the Dix Hills area. At that point we started getting strung out as the "Open" riders took off over the rollers and the "AA" crew were staying together and trying to keep them in sight which ultimately didn't happen. So we labored along for a while knowing well that they were going to turn around and we'd see them again. There were five of us AA guys at that point with Mel as our fearless leader.
I was able to hang with the pack through most of the Dix Hills rollers but on the way back the Open boys took off again and I was driving at the front of the AA contingent with Mel on my wheel when I was almost the victim of a "Drive By Chipmunking"! Its similar to a "Drive By Squirreling" (http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=36480 ) which looks like this at the end only involving chipmunks:
(unfortunately, I think a squirrel was harmed in the making of this photo)Lucky for me they were only "playing" (or so we euphamistically call it in front of the wee ones)and chased each other out on the road, rolled around a bit and then took off when I was about 18" from squishing them. This is the view I got right before they darted back into the trees:
From there it was a pull to try to get back onto the path with the Open riders. I'm really not sure why we were trying to catch up with them again as I thought the entire point was for us to eventually split off when the group broke up.Anyway, to make a long story short, I kept up with the group until we got back to Northport, 25+ mph sprints and all. Its just that I was coughing up stuff most of the time and I just didn't have any "snap" in my legs. I could hold on but I couldn't accelerate as quickly as I usually do. It was then that I decided to cut my losses and just drop off and head for home. This is pretty much the view I had as I watched them slowly pull away from me along the road towards Fort Solonga.
Could I have pushed hard and sprinted and latched onto someone's wheel? Probably, but in the end I went home, cut the grass and played with my kids - overall a good day - I had a great bike ride, got my "chores" done and still had time (and energy) left to play with the kids! I guess sometimes getting chewed up and spat out isn't such a bad thing!Stay well my friends and even a bad ride is better than no ride at all! Even if you're covered in mucus from having been chewed up and spat out!
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