The Big Ring

I decided that I needed to have a pretty hard training week last week, so that is what I did. After taking Monday off (the day after the race), I did a couple of doubles and a miserable long run (only made it 6.5 miles so I guess is wasn't really a long run) and a hill workout on the bike.

Sunday Eric and I rode long-for us that is-40 miles, which is a decent long ride for me. It was pretty windy and I was glad that I was riding with Eric so I could sit on his wheel and not have to work as hard. Eric was going to ride the last 10K fast to simulate racing as he was going to do a hard run afterwards. Me, I was only riding but decided that I would try and ride the last 10K with him and see how long I could hold on. I was hoping just to make it about halfway but it turns out I stayed on his wheel the entire time! I was so proud of myself and didn't realize I had it in me to really go that fast (over 25mph).

This brings me to talking about the big ring. I have only ridden in my big ring once and just to test it out and see how it was, but I decided that I should get into the big ring and just push hard for those 6 miles and it was amazing. I had been talking to Eric about the race last weekend and how I felt like I could have gone so much harder. I was just spinning and spinning fast, and I know that I could have ridden harder and faster. Now that I have done this little 6 miles hard in the big ring, I have much more confidence in myself and my riding and I will be testing it out this weekend when we race again. My goal is to just hammer on the bike in the big ring and just see how it goes on the run. We'll see-there are some pretty fast cyclists racing this weekend and I am just hoping to hold them off until I get hammered on the run! :)