Wednesday 1 August 2007

Riding and Chatting

Lately I've been training pretty much exclusively in the MacArthur area. Normally I divide my training up pretty evenly between Rock Creek Park and MacArthur, but I haven't been in the park in a while. I guess it's because it's easier to do uinterrupted intervals there, with relatively long stretches between stop signs. Plus it's flat. The one thing I really don't like about MacArthur is the bike path. That thing is freaking dangerous. I know cyclists get a bad rap on trail use, and a lot of it is deserved, but between walkers taking up the whole width of the trail, runners running on the wrong side (why do they do that?), people parking on the trail, etc, I say screw it and ride on the road. So what I get yelled at to "get on the sidewalk!!!!!" I can't take it, especially going outbound. I've had enough close scrapes with cars cutting the inside of corners, cars not paying attention at stop signs, whatever. But the vitriol that some drivers roll around with is somewhat frightening.

Anyhow, yesterday there were all sorts of people out riding on MacArthur. Lots of guys on TT bikes, so there must be a TT happening soon. I counted E-T-S, DC Velo, Evolution, Snow Valley (what team are they currently?) and of course some NCVC guys out, but also there were a lot of pros out - Postal, Euskaltel and T-Mob were representing. I wonder what pro tour race is coming to town? The DC Velo pimp mobile is always fun to see parked on a sidestreet by Avenel.

I had just finished up a pretty nasty workout (a couple sets of 30 secs max/30 rest - 60 secs max/60 rest - 90 secs max/90 rest and then back down the pyramid) when I caught up with NCVC's own Anti-Gravity Machine. Somehow the conversation got to how to form a break in a MABRA event - with all of the expertise coming from AGM, who has won from the break at least 3 times this year. We talked about how to lull the field into letting you get a gap, what your effort profile should look like, when to put the hammer down and when to raise the white flag and how to encourage a bridge (this relies primarily on team mates and faith/prayer). A very instructive and interesting conversation. So much so that I rode all the way to Georgetown before turning around and heading back out to the burbs (you know, all 3 miles out).

Anyway, it's always fun to roll along and engage successful and experienced people in their thoughts, no matter what the topic. Maybe when I grow up I will be the new host of Larry King Live.

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