Orange County Group Ride

Well here I go blogging my training and riding. I'm sure this will evolve over time, but I'm just going to get started.

Yesterday the weather in Eastern North Carolina as unbelieveable for February. The ride started at 2:30 with a group of guys I haven't ridden with before, but they were guys that ride with my cycling buddy Don. I met Don at his house and we road about 4.5 miles to meet the group. I didn't know quite what to expect. I didn't even know what route we were riding since there was no cue sheet. Don told me we were going to ride 25 miles "or so". There was a lot of "or so" since we rolled 34.5 miles. I was an hour late getting back to the house for watching the Super Bowl with friends and my family.

The group took off at a very comfortable pace, and slid into the group about two bikes back on the inside. The first fairly large hill broke up the group and I took off with the front group. There was a lot of testosterone flowing with a couple of guys trying to control the pace. I basically sat back. Don took off on one of the hills so I decided to chase him down and it was fun passing him on the way up.

Things slowed down after everyone calmed down a bit. I felt good that I held my own in the group. I've had my butt handed to me on more than one group ride. Orange county has much steeper hills than Wake county where I live. On an average ride, I'll have about 1100 feet in elevation change. The ride yesterday was over 2000 feet. That's nothing for guys that ride in the western part of North Carolina out west, but more than I was used to.

The ride pace was 17 mph and I felt pretty good after the ride.I didn't eat my self into oblivion when I got back. Fairly decent meal, no wine or beer-well a couple of root beers (that's one of my indulgences that I'm sure a nutritionist would stop) and lots of water. My legs were feeling a little sore later in the evening.