Finally, feeling much better

I didn't go out early tonight... with the race next weekend, it's a good time to pull the miles in a bit. It's not a full taper, but it's definitely time to rest a bit. A two-hour race is nothing to sneeze at.

We had a bunch tonight - Galloway, John T., Jimmy, Roy, T-Roy, Dan, Scott, even DfO... and of course myself. The wind was light out of the southeast, which though not strong was favorable. There was no way anyone who rode the earlier time trial (the windy one from a month or so ago) could possibly beat it tonight, but we would have a good night for an individual time trial.

I wanted to test my health on the way out, so I pulled the group to the starting point. It wasn't fast, only 20 mph or so average, but it was into the light headwind. It wasn't hard enough to seriously curtail me, really only puffing in places. My wind seemed fine, and I was confident enough in my fitness to stay in the front the whole way out.

We quickly sorted things out at the line, and one-by-one we left. I offered the coveted(?) last spot to John T., Scott, and T-Roy. T-Roy jumped, John T. did not want to go after me, and Scott went earlier. That left me in the next-to-last slot.

The spacing was generous, so when I hit 337, John T. was almost completely gone. He's been riding like a monster, so I thought he would be gone for good. However, by Bromer I could see the gap closing. It took a couple more miles, but catch him I did. I was wheezing and rasping, but I also knew T-Roy would be breathing down my neck. He might catch me, but I didn't have to make it easy. So, using the riders ahead of me as incentive, I kept climbing the ladder rung by rung.

I got to Jimmy, and caught Galloway 200 meters from the finish. That was it. DfO did his famous disappearing act, so who knows what happened there. Dan was caught early on. Roy and Scott were long gone and finished before I came in. There was never a question they would be caught.

No wonder. Scott rode 26.4 mph, Roy over 25 mph. I rode 27.7, not nearly fast enough to close the distance. T-Roy went 26, Galloway 23.1, Jimmy 24.5, and Dan went over 21 mph. I'm not sure how John T. did, it's not posted yet.

When that was done, Roy, John T., Jimmy, Scott, and I went for a short run. T-Roy tagged along on his bike, and I was glad to see how much he enjoyed this portion however vicariously.

Good workout, boys!

Run tomorrow night! 7 miles!