I started working out too early and put my leg in harms way. The muscle were not fully attached and what I was doing was keep them from attaching properly and actually gaining strength.
So my doctor strongly suggested that I not work out until the muscles completely reattached. So I stopped working out completely from April until June. That shit was painful. Not to mention the 12lbs that I put on trying to stay lean, but not working out.
My leg has completely healed now and I'm back on the bike with no leg pain. I started playing table tennis again, and after the training block went well I decided to take the back off the trainer and hit the road.
I had not really looked into riding in Miami since I lived here, and just decided to go to my normal places in Broward. In my building I saw a guy with a road bike and I asked him if there was a group ride near. He said, "There is a ride that starts 2 blocks from here at 6am on Tues and Thurs." Great! I can get a good ride right from my house.
I replaced my new tires and took off the trainer tire. The next morning I got to the ride and about 5 people were there. Another 5 riders came and we left around 6:05. The pace stays easy while we were navigating our way out of downtown. A lady name Karen introduced herself, and "I asked her how far is the ride?" She said, "It's a trip around the Key. We all have to go to work". I thought to myself, "How long is that".
Deciding to ride in a small group can be a good thing, or a bad thing. It can be a good thing if the group decided to Team Time Trial, take nice pulls, and don't ramp the effort. Or it can be a bad thing if the attacks start coming, the group starts to fall apart, and riders end up just looking for a wheel to latch onto.
We make a left turn and there is a toll booth, and after that I can see that it is wide open. Not even 1 minute later we have gone from 20mph to 23mph, and into the wind. It was a really unstable crosswind. There is a natural order that finds itself and the fast is right in between easy and hard. There is a rider charging hard. He is looking back and surging, getting out of the saddle and pushing the pace. He is creating gaps and riders are pulling out of the paceline. I thought, "Who shatters a group of 10?"
I don't realize it much but I'm shifting to lighter gears because we are going uphill. It's not too steep, but I'm climbing. We make it over the top of the hill and I can see the Bay to the right of me, but I can't really enjoy it.
When we get organized again the rider in question is asked the guys, "How was that? Did you like that? I was thinking, " It must be this guys bucket list to beat up on a bunch of riders that are not good enough to stay with him, not interested, or don't even care. I didn't let the ego get the best of me to show him that I can do more than just follow wheels, but I wanted to make sure I was in ok position at all times.
The next time he takes a pull, I am 7 riders back, and by the time I realize it he has 50 meters. We are going 23mph, and I take my pull. The group is not working hard to bring him back, but we are slowly bringing him in. When it seems like we are making ground a guy in red ramps the effort to Race Pace. I look down and we are doing 29mph, then 31mph. I'm 3rd in line and I don't want to create a gap but 31mph is too much for me as my 1st day back after more than 6 months. I look back because I was going to signal for the next rider to close the gap, but noone was there.
I look down and we are still going 31mph, so I give it up and just go at my pace. One guy comes by and says "Welcome to our Group". I said, "That is a Welcome". I never really do multiple attacks in any group ride, even though I am capable of it. It's not the way that I ride. I can cover attacks of riders that I don't want to get away. I like how things build up towards the end and climaxes with a sprint.
The multiple attacks really only nags the group, but that is how attacks get away and stay away. But in 10 man group it really is a waste of effort unless it's on the bucket list. We get to a turn around point and the group reform. We have lost Karen and another rider. Thing keep going at a pace between 20-23mph. Then we take a right turn detour were things heat up again. We have lost another 2 riders, the bucket list guy is charging again. I pull out and Pablo is behind me. He does a hard charge to bridge up. I am doing 27mph and I go up to 30mph to bridge back up to the cluster of riders. " I don't know my way home" is the only reason that I worked this hard.
We do another turn around and the pace picks up again. Shit, were is my passport. I am not recovered to hang on, but I give it try anyway. I thought we were going to go hard until we go to the main road, then tone it down. Nope, Bucket List guy is putting it down.
I'm dropped, and I know it. I go back over the Bay and the thing is freaking huge. I'm keeping a nice pace and my Heartrate is 185bpm, and my pace is 14mph. I know the Heartrate and pace is way off, so I didn't think much of it.
So I crawl my way back and I hope I can remember my way home. The group is right around the corner, and they were waiting for another rider that was in front of me and me. Or just him.
I give my email to Pablo to keep informed when the rides are going to change. 3 weeks is what I told him it would take me to show bucket list how to go to the front and leave everyone behind me in a scene of colorful destruction.
Gonna keep riding down here, and I'll end up hitting the mtn bike at Markham as soon as I can get decent enough form to ride with them knuckle heads of Broward.
Keep ya Passport with ya!
Pacer Out.
