I was looking forward to a moderate Monday ride before the usual Tuesday throwdown. The weather was good (hot, but not too hot), and a small group of riders (me, The Professor, and Crit) set off, going easy. The days of the big Monday groups seem to be over, but I figured we could find our way to a nice, steady rotation, which would deliver a sweet lunchtime ride.
We picked up POC-E-MON at Seven Locks, and finally got into a smooth rotation after the Kentsdale hill. It felt good and I was game to go like that all day. But for a good rotation to self-perpetuate, everyone has to be in synch and maybe even committed to keeping the rotation flowing. If you pull through too hard and fast, eventually someone will bail on the rotation. If you push the pace too hard because you are feeling good, eventually someone will sit out for a cycle or two to catch their breath. The group works if the cyclists make it work. Sometimes that just happens because all the riders are in synch, and matched in their fitness and ambitions. Most of the time it requires an awareness of what everyone in the group can (or wants to) handle in terms of effort, and subtle adjustments to avoid upsetting the zeitgeist of the rotation.
It’s a thin line. Coming up the second Kentsdale kicker, which is followed by a slightly rising gradient and then a flat section toward River, The Professor went to the front and carried good momentum up the gradient and settled into the flat. Everyone has power zones, and this is a section where The Professor is strong. It probably felt easy to him, because he is in great shape, but it pushed the rest of us a bit, and suddenly we were all thinking about a little recovery. So the rotation stopped, and The Professor was left out front.
I figured it would pick up again on River or after the left onto Persimmon. But Crit allowed a small gap to open after the right turn onto River, and The Professor was still going good. Crit worked to close the gap, but once again the effort was enough to cool anyone’s ardor for the front. On Persimmon I went to the front, and started rotating with The Professor. POC-E-MON chipped in for a few rotations, too. The Professor, as fit as any of us have seen him, continued to pull through hard and fast, and while we rotated we never got a full commitment from everyone to stay in the rotation.
Luckily, this is a sort of self-correcting dynamic. As riders would sit out a rotation or two, The Professor ended up doing more work up front. Eventually, that sort of effort will cool anyone’s jets just a bit, leveling the group up. Or not, if a f*cker is super-fit.
I was mixing in pulls and recoveries as needed, and as we approached the light at Falls, we also picked up Sparky. As we waited at the light, POC-E-MON took a drink, gulped in air, and opined, “Man, [The Professor] is making us work.” Yep.
We dropped down into Great Falls Park, and happily everyone took it easy on the way back up, though we did get a good, hard, group sprint on the final S-turn to the exit. Back at the top, we found Turbo and Dragonfly. Since Falls was under construction, we decided to go down Anglers and left on Stable Lane. We went right when we reached Brickyard, which brought us back to MacArthur. And since Clara Barton was right there, how could we not enjoy a Monday cruise down a parkway?
This did deliver a steady rotation, with me, The Professor, POC-E-MON and Sparky rotating well all the way to the Glen Echo exit. When we got back onto MacArthur, Crit came to the front and sped up to try and catch the light at the one-way bridge. I went with him, and we stayed fast once over the bridge. I didn’t look back to see if everyone had caught the light. Regardless, Crit and I were off the front and didn’t see anyone other than Turbo again. I assume they went up Goldsboro. We spun home.
It was a good ride, moderate with the occasional effort, which is just what I needed going into Tuesday. We’ll see what kind of carnage the speed ride brings. One thing I am pretty sure of: however long I survive, it will almost certainly involve sitting in most of the time and staying out of the rotation.
Relative Effort: 166 (“Massive”—though I think this is an exaggeration, probably due to the fact that my heart rate always runs high in the heat)
Miles Ridden This Year: 1794
Strava Fitness #: 63 (no change)
A Clever Helmet PSA: “Svend, shouldn’t you be wearing a helmet?”