Taper Week?

If you asked me on Friday what my Sunday post would be about, I would have said, "Definitely about my *taper* week." Then Saturday and Sunday happened. I did a brick down in the Annapolis area on Saturday. It rained like the dickens in the morning so we (my sister Jessica Ann rode along, too) got started late. Rain was just tailing off when we got out there. So, it made for a messy ride. Took me about 30 minutes to clean my bike. I got in 37 miles and then ran right off the bike for about 20 minutes. I had to cut it short as we got started so late and I had to do some stuff with Jessica Rose.

Today, however, was the big kahuna. Chad, KDOG, Kip and I went out for a little Sunday ride. Ha! Kip had the great idea of riding all the way out to Sugarloaf Mountain. Ummm... from Capitol Hill Then when we got there, he suggested that we ride to the top... which Kip and I did. Chad was not interested as he did a long run yesterday so he stayed at the base. KDOG had to head back home after 30 miles. Great view at the summit. However, I think the ride up toasted my legs because from about mile 60 to mile 80 of the ride I was in bad shape. No power at all on the hills. Serious suffering. I had also eaten a $.99 bag of potato chips during our food break at around mile 55. That didn't sit well in my stomach and I learned a little lesson there. Altogether, 102 miles in about six hours and twenty minutes.

Something I'll observe about my experience with long rides... it always seems like that at 60% to 80% of the mileage (like, miles 60 to 80 on a 100 mile ride... or miles 48 to 60 on a 78 mile ride) are "times of darkness". It's hardest at that point of the ride. My mind goes to strange places and my legs tell me to "quit now and never ride again". I have to mentally prepare myself for this fact as in an Ironman... that 112 mile ride is followed by a marathon. I need to be tough and not "get out of the light".

So, this past week, I lifted weights once... on Monday. I took two days off of tri exercises... Monday AND Thursday. And I didn't swim at all. But, getting a century under my belt, with over 7000 feet of climbing... the day after a brick... kind of balances it out, what do you think?