back to doing the hour of power

After a two week hiatus from the hour of power, I got back onto the saddle (literally) for some real pain. Ooo boy did it hoit! The climb onto Arrowhead G.C. was especially painful but there was such a long train I was able to same time it with the second group.

As usual the downhill out of the golf course was slamming and I was caught with a group of two (three counting me) between the leaders and the main pack. The first guy took a tremendous pull and I came around him and got into preying mantis tuck on the downhill and was actually able to accelerate slowly, ever so slowly closer to the leaders, who were about 200m away. There's nothing quite as lame as seeing the last people in the lead group pedaling, with no great intent, while we are pedaling furiously with our hair on fire and our arses on the horns of our saddles. Once my speed slowed down, my bridge companion busted out the Russian pace-line and pushed me mightily fierce-like and that quick acceleration allowed me--us--to close in on the leaders as I spearheaded our trio crunching my 52x12 with everything I had.

It was all for naught because I got shelled once we got into the park and had to waste energy going around people who popped while the wind was making mince-meat out of me.

The hour of power is a grand total of 21 miles of go-with-your-hair-on-fire fun (if you can call it fun). Cooled down six miles worth of post cramping spinning. Sucked then, but hours later I'm more or less pretty satisfied with my efforts.

What an introduction back after two weeks off skiing and mountain biking in this beautiful state of Colorado. Tomorrow it's soccer action with my eldest.