After sitting a full hour and a half watching my daughter at her swim team class – I needed to get out and hit the road. Plus, I have been reading David Walsh’s book titled "From Lance to Landis" and had cycling on my mind.
The early evening was about as perfect as you can find in Minnesota. Mid-seventies in temperature and not a drop of wind. The lakes that I passed were like glass and it was the type of weather that was sinful to be caught inside.
- Date: Thursday, July 2nd 2009
- Temp: 74F
- wonderful, late-afternoon sun with no clouds
- no measurable wind – the lakes were glass-smooth
With only some sporadic riding over the last few weeks, I wanted to push myself a little harder and shock my legs back into “good feelings”. Plus, with my daughter still home, I wanted to stick with a shorter ride yet challenge myself. Thus, I picked up the pace and was hoping for a 19mph-plus adventure in the saddle. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and I was able to generate the following stats:
- Start time: 7:20pm
- distance: 17.8 miles
- avg speed: 19.4 mph
- duration: 0:55
- bike odometer: 738
Even though the ride was short – it was nice to finally get a decent ride that averaged into the 19.Xmph range. It is amazing the additional effort it takes to move from 18.5mph average to 19.5mph average. Even though it is a simple 1mph – that extra amount is pretty killer. Plus, I am still measuring my performance to include the various riding through stop signs and neighborhoods for several miles of the ride before I am able to actually hit the steady roads.
19.4mph is a good number and I am rather proud of it. My goal for the end of season is to cover a near 30 mile ride with a 20mph average. I still have a ways to go – but being able to sustain a ride in the 19′s is a good sign that it could happen.
But, with every triumph comes little tragedy. In my case, this meant a follow-up ride the next day. As I stated, I don’t really have that many miles in my legs. Thus, a higher tempo ride – like performed on Thursday – takes a lot out of me. I struggle just to get up the stairs the next day – let alone try to suffer through another 20+ miles. That said, if you’ve ever spent any time with someone who fancies themselves as a “biker”, you realize suffering is a fact of life.
I hit the road again on Friday and generated the following painful, but decent, results:
- Date: Friday, July 3rd 2009
- Start time: 6:00pm
- distance: 21.8 miles
- avg speed: 18.9 mph
- duration: 1:07
- bike odometer: 757
I mentioned early in the post that I have been reading a cycling book. This one is fairly controversial – rightfully so – and is about the doping culture in the professional cycling ranks. Even if you have a limited glimpse of professional cycling (likely via Lance Armstrong’s celebrity status and the Tour de France), you’ve probably heard that cycling is plagued with performance-enhancing drug use. Cycling seems to get a bad rap as a professional sport – mostly because they actually test, catch, and punish their athletes. Other sports still seem to largely keep it "under the rug" and try to dismiss it, even though it is likely as prevalent, if not more so, than cycling.
The book is really written in a damning way against Lance Armstrong and sets up a strong story with many surrounding elements that point heavily to his use of an assortment of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his seven consecutive wins of the Tour de France. It’s hard to dispute his information if it is actually factual. Unfortunately, the author writes it more like a story and puts far too much emotion into his tale – which colors it too much and reduces its credibility.
That said – it’s hard not to believe that nearly everything he presents has a strong element of truth. Doping in the 90′s and 00′s in cycling has totally changed the sport – in a negative way. We hear about “miracle rides” and “amazing performances”, which are more fueled by a rider’s association with a good doctor than by any person ability of the rider. Walsh, and many of the individuals he has interviewed, seem to point to the use of team doctors as the start and continued support of a drug culture. The riders are nothing more than thoroughbred horses that are managed via the various chemicals that are regularly injected into them. It has definitely tainted my view of the professional side of riding.
Fortunately, I have never really ridden due to a need to emulate the pros. For any sport, the professionalization of it takes away its soul and turns it into a “win at all costs”.
I ride for the soul part.
