Finally a day off

I've been trying to resist the ride ride ride urge understanding that recovery is just as important as riding.

After an awesome get together with the Fort Payne cycling club Friday night, I decided I would drive to Chattanooga in the morning and make the Suck Creek cycle "Standing Ride." Standing ride means it always takes place and is a reliable, dependable, did I mention ALWAYS happens ride.

Chattanooga is on EST and Fort Payne is on CDT, an hour behind the East Coast. In order to make the 8:30AM departure, I'd have to leave by 6AM my time to make the hour commute and lose an hour to the time change. I made it out the door a few minutes after six and to Chattanooga by 8 AM (EST). After waiting around in the parking lot for 20 minutes, no one had showed I figured it was a lost cause, I hoped on my phone enjoying the 3G that I can get in Chattanooga that isn't present in Fort Payne and found a group ride about 15 minutes away. Made the short drive there and missed that ride as well.

It wasn't a total loss, I stopped by Rembrandts coffee shop and drowned my sorrow's over coffee and french toast.

Delicious baguette french toast and iced latte at Rembrandts!

I drove home to Fort Payne discouraged and debating whether I was going to ride, but found energy to get out for a ride and got 41 in before the afternoon storms rolled in.

At the top of Tutwhiler Gap, before a long narly descent

Although it was a hazy day, it was still a nice view from the top.

The power file from my Saturday ride.

On Sunday around 2PM a group of us left for Big River Grill in Chattanooga; a brewery at the end of 50 mile ride the served as motivation. It was without a doubt my hardest day ever on a bike. A record heat index made the ride nearly impossible for me, I cramped at 40 mile worse then I've ever cramped. After rolling around in someone front yard for nearly 10 minutes and two people stopping to ask if I was alright (thinking I had been hit by a car, and using lots of expletives) with both of my legs completely locked, I managed to get on the bike and coast down the hill into the city.

Power file from Sunday's incredibly hard ride.


The group that left, not even half braved the whole ride, only 6 made it to Chattanooga.

The hill that ruined Sunday's for me. Burkhalter used to be in the tour of Georgia.

The heat just proved to be too much for me, hopefully this isn't an indication as to how my ride this week from Beckley, WV to Blacksburg, VA. The suds at Big River Grill were totally worth it though!

Monday after my horrendous Sunday I went out for an easy recovery. I think it was the first time I've actually stayed at a recovery effort and stayed in my recovery heart rate zone.

An actual recovery ride for once.

Tuesdays ride didn't go much better than Sunday's. I've decided to never eat Mexican again the same day I intend to go for a ride. The amount of grease and heavy food in my ride almost made me vomit twice, I cut the evening short and relaxed at home.

Tuesdays group ride that I cut short.

In other news I joined a gym today in hopes to begin doing core exercises and minimal lifting to try to trim off some excess weight and record my weight. I'm toying with the idea of doing this Omnium in just over a month, may give me something to work towards.