Training ride 'fun'

Another great team ride tonight on the southern route. This route works very well for my training because it has a great mix of climbs and long power sections. The climbs are fairly evenly spaced and most have nice long flat or slight downhill sections afterwards. As it usually goes, I can't quite keep up with the 'A' riders, and usually am on the front of the 'B's or somewhere in between. I 'love' (which means - it freakin hurts) having to turn myself inside out up the climbs followed by the time trialing effort to get back on with the 'A's.

My goal each week is to get closer to the 'A' group at the top of each climb and eventually make every climb with the lead group. I am way ahead of where I was last year, so I think this is a very achievable goal. Well see how it goes.

This course is also prime training for some early season races, like Malabar and Brecksville. Those races have some significant climbs just before the finish. (I do prefer when the Malabar finish is at the start of the hill).

Crossfit WODs have been great this week. Monday was a double session with 5 sets of body weight bench press and pull ups for max reps at lunch. Hit a personal record 26 unbroken string of pullups in the first set. Monday evening was 'Karen', 150 wall ball shots with a 18lb medicine ball. Took me 11 minutes, and then I tacked on another 60 to try and burn out the shoulders, but instead it was my legs cramping up hard just prior to the finish.

Later...Matt