A Much Needed Ride.

I finally landed some quality saddle time today after roughly two weeks of uncooperative weekend weather and a work commitment in the form of a conference. As luck would have it, the conference landed on a Friday and Saturday with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s. Where’s the usual weekend rain when you need it? In any event, Sunday proved to be a good day for a little single-track action, and I wasted no time in heading to the Whirlpool Trails once I pulled myself out of bed.

With the Chickasaw Trace Classic drawing closer, I decided to test my fitness level by maintaining a brisk pace and do a minimum of 30 miles to help with my endurance base. I worked out a very cool loop about seven miles long that is very similar to the Chickasaw Trail in Columbia, TN. My first two laps were rusty and rather pitiful. I felt awkward on the single-track sections and slightly winded. My hands also hurt and wanted to cramp. However, I eventually found a rhythm and started improving with each lap.

When I got back home, I decided to wash the trail residue off my bike and give the ole girl some TLC.



The Numbers
Trip distance: 37.28 miles
Trip time: 3:37:14
Average speed: 10.29mph
Max speed: 23.22 (bitch’n downhill section)