Training Ride #4

Our second to last training ride was during Easter weekend which gave us 3 different options for training days in case you were planning on going home on Saturday (or working in my case).  I chose to do the 75 mile route on Thursday morning with a group of only 3 other riders.  The route was about 75 miles long and took us through a variety of small urban towns including Rantoul and Fisher which have busier roads than we have previously encountered.   This ride proved to be the toughest one to date- for more than the obvious reasons.


Obviously it was the hardest training ride because it was the farthest we have gone so far- 75 miles is no cake walk.  And riding that long of a distance only proved that my body can hurt in more places than one.  I was actually excited that for once I didn't feel so much of a pain in my neck and shoulders- I thought I was on my way to riding like the next Lance Armstrong...that was until my left knee started hurting.  And then my quads started cramping up a little bit, but that wasn't really noticeable considering how bad my knee hurt.  I actually popped some Advil and even adjusted the height of my seat by a couple of centimeters.  It seemed to help however I don't know it was the adjustment or just the Advil.  


It was also a little difficult considering that we got lost so much that we ended up just forgetting our cues and making up our own route for the most part- I can specifically remember asking for directions twice- but I am sure there has to be more.  Without some form of an internal compass, you cannot tell which cornfield is west and which one is east.


And in between a ferocious dog chase and riding through traffic jammed intersections- my saddle sores set in.  The medically accurate definition of a  saddle sore, for those of you who don't know is: "a human skin ailment on the buttocks due to, or exacerbated by, cycling on a bicycle saddle."  The definition goes on to add a lovely description of the 3 stages including skin abrasions, folliculitis, and abscess.  I luckily haven't had any of those aliments (however it gives me something to look forward to).  I without a doubt had the sore part down though- definite bruising and possible swelling.  


...and on a good note....I DID IT!  The real question is though if I can get myself on the saddle the following day-and the day after that- because that is what I will be doing this summer.  Which by the way is 26 days and counting.  2 more meetings and one more training ride to go.  No big deal.


"Todays Pain is Tomorrows Strength." -or something like that :)