Ride the Ladies of Massachusetts - Page 12

**paulthenurse** · 03-15-2010, 03:29 AM

I'm gonna feel real bad standing on the side of the road looking down at your mangled, broken body, but I've worked in an emergency room for years and many is the time I've seen the mess of hamburger that the loser of a 'man vs car' becomes. The guy I'm gonna feel bad for is Joe. He's never seen a case of total body road rash. He'll probably be puking his guts out over in the gutter.

Of course the good news is that he'll probably want to drink heavily that night and I can probably get him to pay for everything if I tell him some sob story about how my wallet is covered in your blood.

Hmmmm... Things might be looking up here. You go right ahead and wear a helmet with a radio. That's a good idea, Hippie.

Waitress! Another round over here, please!

Hippie · 03-15-2010, 05:03 PM

Broken skulls only happen to the weak... I am strong like bull.

And I believed that I already stated that I'm getting a brain bucket, Mom.

BTW 25 miles yesterday. I hope that you and Alice had a great vacation. Now I have to go pedal my ass all around town as my mom says.

**paulthenurse** · 03-15-2010, 07:11 PM

Ok Ferdnand, I'll leave it alone. I was just looking for the upside.

So does this mean I'm going to have to come up with some other way to get Joe to pay for a night of hard drinking? Sure you don't want to reconsider and maybe take one for the team? It's just that he's a tight little barstid.

PTN

Hippie · 03-16-2010, 05:14 PM

Cellphone bill $70....Car Insurance $80...New Brain Bucket $65...Pint Blocking a whiny busy body.... Priceless

so now I can't get calls from potential employers nor can I drive to interviews, but a guy I've met 5 times can sleep at night

Sometimes it is hard to be the bigger man...

Oh yeah, 35 yesterday, six into a very stiff headwind...good practice for the uphill climb on day 1
(That is how you stay on topic, Jackie!)

**paulthenurse** · 03-16-2010, 06:33 PM

I sleep during the day. At night I go to CYO functions, eat donuts and think pure thoughts.

I'm going to swing by the bike shop on my way to work, I had to get my front wheel trued. It had a spot that was bumping the brake pad at every revolution. Was making me crazy. And now that the monsoon has passed I can get out tomorrow and ride

Hippie · 03-19-2010, 04:26 AM

61 and some change in 4:40 of saddle time.
Actual time was around 5:30 with stops at 2 stores, one lounge (to refill water bottle only

), the bank and the post office. I semi bonked after the last stop for a protein drink. The next mile featured to bridges that I just didn't have any jump for. The 6 miles that followed to the end were at a reduced speed, below the average 13mph for the entire ride.

**paulthenurse** · 03-23-2010, 06:04 AM

Did 18 on Friday, skied on Saturday (Shorts and tee shirts!!! Yea!!! Love spring skiing.) and 20 on Sunday. I was trailing this dude on Sunday and try as I might I couldn't catch his arse. I turned onto a street and I saw him go by while I was still quite a ways away from the intersection. I was giving it my best and though he didn't gain on me I couldn't reel him in. I followed him for a good 8 miles, ended up going further than I intended (and was late getting home for my chores) and was seriously gassed by the time I turned onto good old Water St. I don't know how you are doing these high milage rides, Hippie. I'm dying after 15- 18. Ya, it's only one week into outdoor season but still... You're lapping me. Now we have more rain in the forecast. Sheet!

Are you doing any hill work? I'm not hitting much in the way of hills but I do have some bumps.

I've also found that my own personal max heart rate seems to be around 160. I can keep up 130 all day long, 145 and I'm breathing hard, going uphill bumps me up to 160 and I can sustain that for 2-3 minutes max, then I'm done. Through. Toast. If I'm not at the top of the hill by then I'm down into the smallest front ring, the largest rear and fading fast.

Oh well, they call it training for a reason. And as we all know, Riding the Ladies isn't about a sprint to the finish, it's a slow steady buildup of power.

PTN

**paulthenurse** · 03-23-2010, 06:12 AM

The other thing that is killing me is my hands. My left hand keeps going numb on me from the pressure of the handle bars/brake hoods. I don't remember that being a problem when I started riding 6 years ago. I bought a nice pair of padded gloves, spent a f'ing fortune for them ($50 for gloves with no fingers is a f'ing fortune if you are a tight assed yankee like me.) and still I find myself having to shake out my hands every few miles.

Whaaaaa Whaaaa Whine Whaaaaaa Booo Hoooo

PTN

brewmonk · 03-24-2010, 01:19 AM

yeah, the numbness happens to me on my mountain bike - even through two layers of gloves.
the angle is too far forward, too much weight resting on them - "Why does it hurt, when I lean?".

the grain mill is fun. you'll love it... with leather. (and if you check the date, that's where "pi" came from)

Hippie · 03-24-2010, 05:05 AM

BrewMonk, 2 nice Joe's... way to go! Pretty soon you'll be doing brew work for Yuda!

Paul, I still usually do in the 20-30 range, but push myself here and there. I was hoping to be doing longer rides more consistently, but it hasn't happened yet. We haven't had it as bad as you guys, but I have missed quite a few weather days also, which hasn't helped. I have been having the same issues with my hands, but like the monk says, it is from putting too much weight on them, so we need to get skinnier

, which isn't on any decent homebrewers list of easy things (and it isn't on mine either). As far as heart rate and VO2 max and that other mumbo jumbo, I just know I have clutched anything yet!

No hill work to speak of (unless you count headwinds!)... don't know where to find one! The best I can do is going over bridges. The big ones are usually when I do my 60 milers, I hit them at about miles 8-9 and 51-52. I have crossed them on shorter rides, but don't go that way as often for those.
You are putting together some good rides, so don't worry about the distance yet, focus on recovery, and the rest will come in good time. My first ride in a long time was only really a few weeks back (8-10) and I made somewhere in the 6-8 mile range and was gassed as well. I have the advantage of some youth (but I have been hard on the equipment!) and that while my temple is a bit rough, it is built on a solid foundation. I used to Mtn bike alot and rollerblade like a fiend. I spent several years on dead and phishtour rollerblading upwards of 10 hours a day. Ah, the good ole days!

Today was my first ride since the 60+. I did 11+ to the beach, about 5 miles or so walking in sand, then the 11+ home. My average speed in the saddle was 14.1 mph today, which is an improvement, but hard to quantify as the ride was shorter and the Bruins were about to start

Just keep it up, and soon Alice will be able to bounce Dunkin's Munchkins off your washboard stomache and into your mouth!