documented proof

i stole this photo from someone who posted it for our viewing pleasure on stlbiking. it is proof that i in fact did race at webster. i look serious, don't i?? i also look as if i was put together by a young child, perhaps humpty-dumpty style...oh, these legs go with this body...wait, that's a very big body to go with those puny legs...

my training has been going exceedingly well. i rode home from work monday as a recovery ride, aided by the power tap. the numbers on the screen definitely reminded me that i press too hard, no matter what the conditions are. it took an extra 30 minutes to make it home, given that i averaged 14mph instead of the usual 18mph. hard to imagine thinking that the 18mph was actually a recovery pace!

while riding at castlewood today, i popped out onto ries road, at the top of the big climb, and saw ryan hermsmeyer just cresting it. i greeted him and immediately saw he was sporting the power tap. he too mentioned that sometimes listening to the power tap nanny meant a boring ride. but i also know that he has improved a lot over the last couple of years, so something is working for him. i bid him goodbye and went about the business of 20 minute threshold intervals, which i cooked quite nicely.

the bmc was flowing like water and i was, too. it's rare to have such flow and form on a hard workout day, but it happened. maybe that slow march home yesterday was just the sort of thing i needed. i finished the two 20 minute intervals and pedaled easy on the grotpeter, only to goof around and fall over on a normally quite easy section. it was a 0 mph fall, just that i stuck my bad leg out and, as usual, stiff-legged it to stay upright rather than just roll off the bike. i've injured that knee 3 times doing that exact same thing, but i was spared the humiliation of an emergency room visit this time. a little sore, a lot embarrassed. i need to learn a new response, perhaps landing on my head, which is quite a bit harder and heartier than my left knee....