Well, it looks as if our weekend group rides are starting to take form. I hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy the dry conditions. We had nine riders make it out for today's training ride, and there were a few new faces. Josh Tack and Nadia White came out, sporting the new Northern Rockies Kit. I'm getting into the blue and green! And how about Jason from Salem, OR/Helena? but now he's in Missoula. We need to sign this boy up! Rounding out the group were Tamara, Megan and Blair, all NRO, Jeff Twohig and I from FVV and single-speed/ MTB rider, Andrew. Come on boys and girls...we need a little more orange out there!
We decided to head out west and the general consensus was to go for two hours. We headed out to the mill so if anyone wanted to turn and head home (roughly an hour and a half) they could. All nine of us were game to go two+ hours so we headed out to Frenchtown.
Things started out easy with lots of double paceline in the wide shoulder of Expressway to allow a little chit-chat, and we kept it easy until a few miles from Frenchtown when Blair and Josh started to up the tempo a bit. I guess the spring-like weather had everyone feeling a little spry. By the time we came into Frenchtown I was clocking 25 mph. Note to newbies: it wasn't bad at all, because of a slight tailwind...and the fact that I was letting someone else do the work in front. There are real benefits from riding in groups and this is a big one. Let someone else do the work! Riding in a group like this can save you up to 30% of your strength and this will allow you to ride much farther that you could if you were alone.
At Frenchtown we split up. Josh rode off into the sunset (West) the NRO ladies headed back toward the mill and the rest of us took the frontage road rollers back to town. So with five of us left, we headed for home. All was calm until Jason hammered up the first hill and I followed right on his wheel. Hey if he wants to do the work...On the next hill I returned the favor and Jeff decided that he'd have some of that too. I really like hitting the hills hard as a way to get some high intensity intervals and the rolling hill terrain that so many of our local roads have makes it easy to do this. A push up to the Wye and one final climb up the Keil loop off Butler Ck. topped off our ride.
So don't all of you wish you had come out for a nice Saturday ride? So show up tomorrow, Bernices, noon through the end of March. Kyle promised to be there. As for me, I need to reconnect with the Sunday run, but I will be there again next weekend.
I hope everyone had a laugh at the Snowjoke today! -E-
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