Nov-26: Thanksgiving Afternoon Ride

After the roads dried out from the overnight and morning drizzles, I did sneak in a short ride late in the afternoon.  Delayed afternoon start even more because I noticed that my phone was almost out of juice.  Started riding at about 2:55 pm, intending to ride about 30 miles and finish around 5:15 pm. [A 30-ish mile ride would have looked something akin to this from the other day.]  

 

However, almost from the first, I recall it was on Durant Rd, so between 2.0 and 3.4 miles into the ride. I felt the occasional water droplets alighting on my knees, so I became amenable to something shorter, and if I was going to go shorter, I should "attack" the ride with more gusto.  
 

Similar to that shown in the above-linked GPS route, I did ride down Bay Leaf Ch Rd all the way to the lake (or rather to where the gate is across the road), and then rode thru the neighborhood off the west side of BLC Rd.  However, while descending Possum Track, the occasional water droplets became a mist, and then a heavier mist; then, as I transited the finger of the lake that Possum Track crosses, I could see the rain drops splashing on the lake and thought, "oh, it is going to actually rain; I definitely better cut this short and head for [the barn]."  So I turned onto Raven Ridge to head to Brassfield, Durant, Honeycutt and then on in via the sidewalks. 

 

When I turned onto Raven Ridge, I was averaging 15-mph, but the incline on Raven Ridge (which is not all that steep, but does keep going and going), put me at least a minute behind 15-mph pace.  Flat-tish Brassfield and downslope on Durant got some of that back.  But, then, on the steep part of Honeycutt (near the bottom), I lost momentum and cadence and pace.  In-motion pace dropped to 7-mph (or maybe slightly less) and, combined with the sidewalk riding and navigating a car or two blocking said sidewalks while they waited for traffic on the road cleared them by, I ended up two minutes over the time that would have meant a 15-mph avg pace for the entire 16.6+ miles rather hilly ride.  

 

I can't avg near that pace for 40 or 60 miles, but shorter rides are the time to practice speed, right?  

 

Oh, stayed in the 39/14 gearing the entire ride today (and also did that on the ride shown in the GPS linked route).  [Earlier this year, I did some similar rides staying in the 39/15 all ride, but 39/14 always seemed too hard.  I don't understand how the 39/14 could have felt more-or-less almost comfortable the last two rides, because I haven't been cycling about enough to get into reasonable enough shape that might make 39/14 logical.] 

 

 

So, yes, a boring / annoying ride report.

Nov-2018: "Irregular" Thanksgiving Ride(s)

Some years, but apparently not in the last five or so,
We've done a Thanksgiving morning ride around Falls Lake.

Sometimes clockwise, but the preferred Thanksgiving morning ride
Would be in the counter-clockwise direction.
Because, if it is a sunny day, and there are still leaves on the trees,
One can get a very nice view of colorful trees across the lake.

"Usual" Thanksgiving morning route.
Or, at least the core route from which some small deviations might be made.

  

Thanksgiving Morning, Nov-22 

I expected to have to work the afternoon or evening hours of Thanksgiving Day.
So I put out a call for a possible Irregulars Thanksgiving morning ride.
Sadly, there wasn't a lot of interest except for Lt. Dave and his friend Rich.

[As far as I can recall, I had never met Rich. 
However, if I recall LT's "story" correctly, 
LT and Rich kept meeting each other on their individual solo rides near Falls Lake. 
Finally, they decided to ride together, and have been doing so for a few years.]

A further unexpected development:
I was asked to work the night before Thanksgiving Day,
From 10 pm the night before until 7 am Thanksgiving morning.
The trade-off?  I would get all Thanksgiving Day off!

So, to get to the point(s):
I worked from 10 pm until 7 am, and then cycled the 1.1-mile commute to my place,
Ate some food, changed into cycling kit, and
Cycled the 5.6-miles from my housing to PUE - the usual Irregular ride gathering spot  --

[For more information on "PUE" -- see the abbreviations page.]  

To meet LT and Rich for a counter-clockwise ride around Falls Lake beginning at 9 am.

Although I rode over 4500 miles in 2018 (over 6500 RUSA kms),
I never really got into what I would refer to as "decent cycling shape."

And not being in "decent cycling shape,"
Combined with having just spent 9 hours on my feet, doing physical work,
I was significantly slower than LT and Rich.

Although they were clearly riding slower than they would have done without me along,
Early in the ride, I had to ask them to slow down "half-a-mile-an-hour."
And later, on Patterson Road, which used to have serious climbs,
But since taking up randonneuring (in 2010), the climbs have seemed less serious,
But on Thanksgiving morning, I had to soft-pedal / spin my way up the climbs in a small gear.
I'm pretty sure that I had to use the same technique on Cheek Rd, climbing away from Falls Lake,
But the moments I can still see in my mind are from the two biggest inclines on Patterson Rd.

I don't recall the exact route we took after we got south of NC-98,
But I'm embedding the standard Irregulars lake loop (clockwise -- U can reverse in your mind).
I do imagine that I must have been pretty slow on Kemp Rd and Mt Vernon Church Rd.
Because Rich INSISTED that I let him give me a lift back to my place.
(I had intended to cycle the 5.6-miles back on my own.)

Anyway, three Irregulars completed a Thanksgiving morning ride around Falls Lake.
But I don't recall if there was much in the way of sunshine.
I doubt I even noticed during the ride -- let's face it, I was rather tired from the overnight shift.
I do recall that there was not-much in the way of colorful leaves still on the trees.


Thanksgiving Sunday, Nov-25

Harvey couldn't join the Thanksgiving morning ride.
But he was planning to qualify for, and go to, PBP, in 2019,
As such, he was interested in starting to get back into cycling shape for some Jan + Feb brevets.
So, the two of us agreed to a re-do of the Thanksgiving morning ride.

One thing though:
The weather, especially the wind, was different than the ride three days before.
So, being somewhat intelligent, we decide to ride clockwise
In order to minimize the souring effects of the headwind.
[If you look at the embedded map regarding this Sunday ride, 
You won't have to reverse the course in your mind.  LOL.]

Other than that, the only thing I can recall from that Sunday ride is this:
Harvey had driven the incredibly long three-and-a-half miles from his house to PUE,
So, when we finished the ride, he had to collect his car, etc.,
While I started my post-ride cycle-commute back to my place.

Usually, I take the longer, but safer, 6.7-mile route after a ride,
Instead of using the more direct 5.6-mile routing I usually use before a ride.
[The 5.6-miles is safe early in the day, but becomes less so after people start driving around.]

But this day, I decided to see how far I would get on the 5.6-mile route
Before Harvey caught me.
Answer:  almost all the way to Six Forks Rd.
[Meaningless to non-locals, but "Irregulars" and other locals will understand.]  

Nov-24: Make Room For Turkey

Virtually the same route as on Thanksgiving morning last year.

Fewer partants this year as only Ricochet Robert, BobH and I "signed up".

Bob and Robert had met at about 0730 and ridden to the start together.
With only the three of us expected, and everyone present and ready to ride,
We started the ride about 10 minutes early.

Robt and Bob immediately resumed the deep conversation(s) they had started on the way to PUE.
I concluded that they didn't a third party messing up the conversation dynamics,
So I rode ahead and sang songs as I made them up,
Or sang the notes as I made them up, or borrowed from unknown songs.

Eventually, I backed off my pace, and the three of us rode the last 15-miles or so together.
We continued the guy-conversations.
However, I could not tell you one single thing that we talked about.
Not because they are forbidden topics,
But because I simply do not recall.

I doubt that Robert or BobH recalls any of their subjects, either.

Great day for a ride around the lake.
Early on, crossing the lake on Old Weaver Trail Rd,
The lake was as a mirror.
Too bad all the leaves were already off the trees.

Later, crossing the lake on Cheek Rd,
There were ripples on the surface,
Too small to refer to it as a "chop".

Great quickie ride.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov-24:

PUE:  Falls Lake Loop, counter-clockwise, + Pottery Loop and the "Shaw 'Shortcut'"; 40.7 m.; 2h,31m in-motion; 16.1 mph.  

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; 1822.2 m.; 123 h, 05 m; 14.8 mph.
Q-2 tot: _30 rides; 2604.9 m.; 174 h, 22 m; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _29 rides; 2479.2 m.; 161 h, 05 m; 15.2 mph. 
Oct tot: _10 rides; _924.0 m.; _61 h, 54 m; 14.9 mph. 

Nov tot: __7 rides; _387.0 m.; _25 h, 40 m; 15.1 mph. 

YTD tot: _99 rides; 8217.3 m.; 548 h, 08 m; 15.0 mph. 

Nov-25: Thanksgiving Day Around Falls Lake

For our "make room for turkey" ride, we planned an early-ish Thanksgiving Day morning "pedestrian-paced", short (40-ish miler) ride "around" Falls Lake, counter-clockwise so that the morning sun would be behind us and thus highlighting the remaining leaf color in front of us, especially as we crossed the lake on Old Weaver Trail between New Light Rd and NC-50.  That was the plan.  The "sun" part was integral.

As regards the sun, Mother Nature did not cooperate.  We got a completely overcast, dark gray sky.  50F degrees under a warm sun is fun -- 50F degrees under a dark gray overcast ... not as much fun. 

My day started with two unexpected and "wonderful" pieces of cycling news.  (1) My rear tyre was dead flat.  (2) My floor pump, that I carry in my car, is now useless for Presta valves.  By 7:10, two unexpected expenses.  Great! ... Not.

The tyre, still pretty new, had a small hole punched through, sort of where the sidewall meets the "tread".  I know what happened, a small, unnoticed rock had "patoi-ing'd" off the side of tyre on Wednesday's ride.  Nothing happened at the time.  The tyre was still fine at the end of the ride.  But, by next morning ... maybe I can boot the tyre with one of those thick rubber tyre-boots, and carry the tyre as the "spare" on future rides. 

Luckily, one of the guys coming to the ride, Gary, has his own bike-shop (TLC-4-Bikes).  I called him and asked if he happened to have any reasonable tyres at a reasonable price at his house or in his van, and if so, please bring one -- if not, I would just use the spare tyre I've been lugging around for "insurance" on Permanents.  Gary had a suitable tyre.

The pump has done yeoman service for about 6 years, but the "needle" in the "Presta head" has broken off or worked itself loose and fallen out.  Pump now useless for Presta valves.  Any local need a floor pump good only for Schrader valves. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even though most of us were just "milling about" as early as 5 or 8 minutes before "wheels-away" time, and even though we actually left a couple minutes late, our "leader" did a woeful job of making sure everyone knew everyone else's name, and further did a woeful job as he failed to give any "safety tip of the day".  I happen to know that "leader's safety tip of the day" are as much or more to remind himself as any other reason, but I guess he was distracted.

Today's cast:  Snapper (who stayed true to his new "metabolic heart rate training method" -- even when he perhaps ought to have been the one to jump ahead to make it easier for traffic to pass), BobH (who "decided" to graft "Strawberry" and "Pottery" loops onto our "standard" Falls Lake loop), Smitty (who EVIL-ly decided to challenge for the last CL of the day), Levi (who did nothing special all ride except keep an eye on his "better half" at the critical time), Cathrine (Levi's "better half", who hadn't done much riding lately, but did just fine, and is fun to ride with), Scott (Levi's bro-in-law ... well, technically, he's Cath's bro-in-law), the afore-mentioned Gary, Wendy (Gary's "better half" -- and of course she rode the extra 10 miles home after the ride), Robert (decked out in some new cold-weather cycling clothes), and me.

No sunshine.  No colorful leaves along the lakeshore.  I think I didn't even look at the lake as we rode across it on OWT.  Hmmn.  What was I doing?  Maybe chatting with someone(s)?  I don't recall. 


A couple months ago, one of the "Irregulars" told me of a conversation he had with his spouse when he got home from a ride -- the most germane part of the conversation went something like this: 

Spouse - "Do you guys talk to each other during the ride?"
Irregular - "Oh, yeah."
Spouse - "Did you talk to anyone on today's ride?"
Irregular - "Of course.  We talked almost the entire time"
Spouse - "What did you talk about?"
Irregular - "I don't know."
Spouse - "Sheesh!"


After turning onto Cash Rd, I was torn between zipping up to the front crew to make sure they knew where to turn and staying back with Snapper and ???.  I started to zip up to the front crew, but then decided I would stay back (in no-man's land between) and just watch to see what happened.  A mile later I learned that there was much discussion as to whether the course was supposed to continue on Cash Rd, or turn left onto Northside Rd (we were operating withOUT cue sheets on the assumption that everyone knew the "standard lake loop" -- HA -- and because everyone has previously been sent an electronic copy of the cue sheet and they can print it off for themselves -- and also because ... never mind).  BobH knew where he was -- most of the rest really did not understand where they were -- and thought we should add a little to the course to get in a full 40 miles -- so he led the way past Northside as we continued toward US-15 on "Strawberry" loop -- so-called because the loop goes past Lyon Farms on Munns Rd. 

I learned just how lost some of the crew can be when we got to US-15 -- Robert thought we should turn right onto US-15.  Uh, Robert, that's not only the wrong way, but there are no turn-offs until we would get INTO Creedmoor.  ;-)

After the short stretch on US-15, we got to do the two extra rollers on Munns Rd and also checked out the strawberry fields.  Upon reaching Northside Rd, BobH was again / still in the lead, and he decided we should do "Pottery" loop just to make sure we got in a FULL 40 miles.  "Pottery" loop is so-called because it goes past Cedar Creek Gallery on Fleming Rd.  Levi now knows where Cedar Creek Pottery / Gallery is -- I expect he and Cathrine will visit it soon (but I'm wagering that I'll get an e-mail requesting clarified directions).

BobH and Robert were a bit ahead of the main body on Will Suiit Rd as we headed for the Wake CL and Boyce Rd, so I decided to zip on up to them and perhaps sneak a CL for myself, or lead-out Robert for the CL.  But Levi saw me bridging up to the 2 Roberts, and that reminded him that there was a CL just ahead -- so he came zipping up to the front.  However, his bro-in-law Scott saw Levi bridging and decided to bridge at an even faster pace.  Actually, Scott didn't bridge to us; he just went around us as if we were standing still; Levi gave chase -- but he had no chance. 

After crossing Falls Lake on Cheek Rd, Smitty and I led the entire group up the climb at a pace which all could manage together.  As the road leveled out, I told Smitty to be on the lookout for Shaw Rd on the left.  I figured to spice up the route a bit with a paralleling trip through the well established housing development between Shaw and Little Jimmy Rodgers roads.  The whole group made the turn onto Shaw, and just before Shaw dead-ended into the lake, we turned right.  Just after that turn, Robert informed me that we had lost Levi and Cathrine somewhere back on Cheek Rd.  I was flabber-ghasted.  How?!

Scott turned back to look for his relations.  But he eventually rejoined our main group 2/3 the way through the development.  He had returned to the Cheek / Shaw corner and waited a few minutes (entirely plausible because we were just putzing along), but he hadn't seen Levi and Cath.  (We later learned that Cath was feeling nature close in around her cold feet -- Levi had shoe covers - Cath did not - how chivalrous, Levi! -- but Levi gave his shoe covers over to Cath (some chivalry recovered) and that took enough extra time that they were well back, but not lost, and ended up making their own way back to PUE).


To some, the big highlight of the ride, and of many rides, was about to occur.  Deciding that L+C would be able to make their own way back and that they were likely ahead of us given how much time we had frittered away mulling about in the housing development, we decided to continue the ride.  The "leader" turned left.  A quarter-mile later he was heard to say "we need to make a U-turn."  Robert asked why.  Answer:  "Because Martin made a mistake."


Back on course, on to Patterson and a regrouping at the corner of NC-98 and Olive Branch Rd.  Not having ridden Olive Branch Rd all the way from the highway to Carpenter Pond for at least two or three years, the "leader" said "Rather than turn onto Doc Nichols, let's take Olive Branch all the way to Carpenter Pond."  The climbs on Olive Branch are nice (a NET gain of nearly 200 ft elevation between the first creek and CP), but the road surface leaves a LOT to be desired.  Unless Olive Branch gets the "stimulated" treatment, I won't be riding Olive Branch between Doc Nichols and CP for the foreseeable future.

Once on Carpenter Pond, given that we had spent the entire day putzing along averaging about 14 mph, enjoying varying conversations (and if you were paying attention above, you will know that no one has any idea what the topics of conversation were), I decided that we should end the ride with some panache.  21 mph, into the slight quartering headwind (breeze) out of the north.  Maintaining that pace on the run UP to the Wake CL, the EVIL Smitty decided to come and take the CL.  I saw him off my rear quarter and decided "it isn't going to be THAT easy, Smitty."  I think Smitty was surprised that I had a faster cadence in reserve as he saw me surge ahead.  Smitty adjusted and started catching me again -- I hit the pedals hard again -- and I think Smitty was again a bit surprised -- but he responded -- but I was out of courage and had been pulling for 3 miles and ... I did not respond a third time -- Smitty took the CL.  But then he slowed and both Robert and I went around, and then Robert thought he'd pull.  I knew Robert would reduce his pace after he completed his pass and was directly in front of me.  He did exactly that -- skipping a pedal stroke -- just as I expected.  Given the slight dip in the road at that point, I went around Robert easily.  But he and Smitty and Gary and Wendy all immediately re-passed me.  I needed a few moments "breather".

Turning onto Mt. Vernon Ch Rd, I was off the back of the above-mentioned crew, but I had had my "easy-pedal breather" and I've ridden MVC more times than the rest of them put together.  I saw that they had slowed a bit -- obviously "waiting" for me -- I went past at 24 mph and made them chase all the way to NC-50.  (Well, Gary didn't have to "chase" -- he was just happy to have another mile of a "Gary-friendly pace".)


My preferred highlight of the day:  After the ride, Smitty was telling me his version of Mt Vernon Ch Rd.  His comment to himself upon seeing me fly past:  "oh, now Martin is just playing with me." 

You just keep thinking that, buddy.  I need all the psychological advantages I can get.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov-25 (Thanksgiving Day): 

PUE: Falls Lake Loop, counter-clockwise, w/ modifications; 40.2 m.; 2 hrs, 46 min in-motion; 14.5 mph. 

Q-1 tot: _16 rides; __938.2 m.; _60 hrs, 39 min; 15.5 mph.
Q-2 tot: _31 rides; 2,263.3 m.; 151 hrs, 29 min; 14.9 mph.
Q-3 tot: _37 rides; 2,293.2 m.; 156 hrs, 31 min; 14.7 mph.
Oct tot: _13 rides; 1,050.6 m.; _58 hrs, 44 min; 15.3 mph.
Nov tot: __8 rides; __544.8 m.; _36 hrs, 16 min; 15.0 mph.
YTD tot: 105 rides; 7,090.1 m.; 472 hrs, 43 min; 15.0 mph.
 _ 

Nov-26: 7 is a Good Number, Or, A Foggy Time Was Had By All

A few days before, I thought the Thanksgiving morning ride would be me, LT, maybe Smitty.

Then Iva e-mailed indicating that the $30 Turkey Trot entry fee was unreasonably high -- but it wasn't entirely clear that he intended to ride Thursday morning.  But Lt. Dave assured me that Iva intended to ride.

Next, BobH e-mailed that he would join the crew for the 30-mile ride.  That made me. LT, Iva, BobH, maybe Smitty.

Somewhere along the line, Smitty assured me that he was definitely in for Thursday morning . . . probably.  Or so it seemed in my memory. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday morning, I shut my cell phone off at 0751.  Either people are coming and will be there on time, or they aren't coming or maybe they won't be on time, but I'm going to be ready on time. It is quite foggy.

0753, Smitty arrives.  Eventually he gets out of his warm Durango and informs me that Snapper is likely coming to ride.  So that will likely make 6 riders. It is quite foggy.

A few minutes later, Snapper comes roaring into the parking lot and slams to a stop next to me, on the side of my vehicle where my bike is leaning against the car.  After the relief that I'm okay, my vehicle is okay, my bike is okay, I hear this gawd-awful LOUD music coming from Snapper's car.  What makes it gawd-awful?  Although I ride early, I don't do "loud or happy or party" early -- I'm more like "I'll come fully awake some time after the ride starts", and until then, I'm into quiet.  Snapper turned the volume down and finally shut the music off.  Aah, more peaceful again. And the heavy fog contributes to the peaceful impression.

Sometime just after Snapper's ARRIVAL, some guy pulls his vehicle in on the side opposite Snapper.  I'm likely giving him the "evil eye" wondering who this likely Gyro is.  He stares back, and when he emerges from his vehicle says "I'm a friend of Iva's."  Oh.  "I'm Martin.  This will make seven -- assuming all three of Iva, BobH and LT are cycling to the ride and show up. It is still quite foggy.

Iva and BobH (in no particular order) arrive via bicycle.  And LT arrives at about 0810 to find everyone ready to ride.  Luckily the shock of everyone being ready early did not bring on a medical disorder. And, guess what, it is still quite foggy.

We are introducing around and bantering a bit.  A guy pulls in on the far side of Smitty.  I knew his face and knew he was there for the Gyro ride -- maybe he thought we were there for the Gyro ride. Maybe he couldn't see through fog condensing on his glasses.

While I'm explaining the main point of the day's ride -- getting LT back early so that I did not get in trouble with Mrs. Lt. Dave -- another cyclist arrives and comments "you're not here for the Gyros ride."  It wasn't really a question.  Dave later claimed that he thought about telling the guy that we were there to follow behind the Gyros and catch the pile-up when they crashed, but he apparently though better of it.  Instead, we simply started our ride -- before any more of the horde could arrive. We headed out into the heavy fog.

The point of the ride, in addition to getting Dave home on time, was for me to get in a short, fast "TT" ride.  So that's how I started -- admittedly a bit faster than I usually do. Sad thing, though, my legs started feeling as if they were working a lot harder than the speeds that were resulting.  Some tried to take turns leading at a pace that would help me, but during warm-up mode time that is hard because I don't ride anything near a steady pace during warm up (and others probably think I'm not making a steady or slowly increasing effort) because my gravity-gut really cuts into the upslope speeds and definitely contributes to faster downslope speeds.  I suppose it must be a bit difficult to figure out what hair-brained riding I'm doing. There were few cars for the first miles on Carpenter Pond Rd, which was just as well because there was a heavy enough fog, that at corners and stop-signs, we were not "looking" for oncoming traffic, instead we were listening for it.

Someone -- I won't say who - Cheeta -- was foolish enough to mention the lack of traffic.  That jinxed us.  Immediately the stream of cars coming out of the fog from both fore and aft commenced.  Near the intersection with Olive Branch Rd, the sun tried to make an appearance, but the fog emerged victorious.

We were on pace when we got to the top of Doc Nichols Rd -- just below 16 mph.  That was the first time I looked at the confuser.  The next was just before turning onto Carpenter Pond Rd from Virgil Rd -- a disappointing 16.0 mph.  "Man," I said inside my head, "Ive been working a LOT harder than that." But I get ahead of the story . . .

The fog on NC-98 between Olive Branch and Baptist roads was heavy enough that I was thinking we'd have to roll to a stop on the right-hand edge of  NC-98 and listen for cars before attempting to turn across the highway and onto Baptist Rd.  In the event, although it was still quite foggy, the only traffic was a cyclist headed west on NC-98.  Snapper said something about there being a large group emerging out of the fog just as we turned of the highway. but I never saw them.

Just after the turn onto Baptist, LT told me needed a pee.  I suggested the porta-potty on the golf course.  We were practically on top of the blue box with its yellow top before Dave could see the ediface.  LT and, surprise, Iva each visited the blue box, but the rest of us hammered down the road looking for Southview Rd.  It was lucky that some of us knew approximately where Southview Rd was because the fog was increasing in intensity as we rode down Baptist.  Five of us pulled around the corner and waited.  Soon, came a charging two-man line:  LT in front, Iva following.  It was a good thing Iva was with him and saw us, because LT was hell-bent-for-leather and apparently didn't see us -- through the fog.

We rode across the dark, new asphault of Southview Rd, still shrouded in thick fog.  My "TT" effort was beginning to fall apart as my legs became increasingly fatigued.  I had a LOT less zip going up Kemp Rd from Southview to Virgil Rd than I was expecting to have.  The fog was still heavy, and as Iva, Snapper and I approached the turn onto Virgil, Snapper urged "let's pick it up and get around that turn before some car comes out of the fog and hits us: -- we could hear a car approaching from behind.

As we rode up Virgil, the fog finally started to clear enough so that one could an almost reasonable distance. 

At the Virgil / Carpenter Pond intersection, I explained the rest of the 30-mile course, and explained how I hoped Snapper and Smitty would come to the front and pull at a pace I could hold until we got to PUE, and that I figured we should average about 21 mph from Virgil to the bottom of MVC Rd.

We made the two-mile loop, and then Snapper hit the after-burners.  Smitty and LT went with him.  I waved good-bye.  BobH tried to come around and pull me at a pace to get back up to the threesome (which, as it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to do even if I had had good, fresh legs -- Snapper hit a pace that drained all the energy out of LT and Smitty --  subsequent investigation revealed that when Snapper finally pulled out of the lead, LT immediately dropped the pace some 5 mph -- so, Snapper, while riding third is a lot easier than leading the line, it is also easier going 20 mph than 25 or 30 mph).  BobH and Iva's friend tried to close to the lead threesome -- it has been reported that Iva's friend caught the threesome, but I suspect BobH did not, because he paused at Kemp Rd for Iva to join him and then the two of them headed straight for home.  There was almost no fog during all this time, but the only thing the lack of fog accomplished was that the trailing riders were able to watch the lead riders zoom away from us, and then confirm that they had to be at least half a mile or more ahead because we couldn't see the leaders even through the mostl clear conditions.

Candidates for quote of the day:

When Iva caught me after Snapper's afterburners had dragged the leaders well clear, Iva's siimple comment was "those guys didn't do a useful pull."  (Or something along those lines.)

I later learned that while Snapper, LT and Smitty were stopped at the CP / MVC corner, Snapper asked LT if he was going to stop by the school.  After Dave reported that he was heading straight home, Snapper apparently lamented that there would only be he and Smitty to face the "wrath of Martin."  (I had already decided to let them off the hook because, as I told Iva, "they're having fun."  I did, however, tell Iva's friend not to stop when coming around the corner off CP onto MVC.  You might be wondering how Iva's friend got from catching the three leaders and then ended up with me when I got to the stopped, waiting leaders -- well, I do know how that came to pass, but I'll let you ask Iva's friend in person.)

My "TT" ride ended up being quite disappointing.  I worked hard and certainly deserved an avg pace of at last 17.0 mph, maybe even 17.5 mph.  But in fact, the ride came in only at 16.45 mph.  I'm blaming the slow pace on the 1/2 inch wide flat profile of my rear tire.  I plan on getting a new rear tire BEFORE riding Sunday. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Btw, Iva's friend:  his name is John (or Jon), not Bob.
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Nov-26:

PUE: DocN-Baptist-Southview-Virgil-ShadyGroveLoop; w/ LT, Iva, Smitty, Snapper, BobH, Iva's friend, aka, John; 30.0 m.; est 1350 ft climbed --> effort index = 44; 1hrs, 49min; 16.5 mph.

1st Qt. tot: 20 rides; 755.3 m.; 47 hrs, 31 min; 15.9 mph.
2nd Qt. tot: 43 rides; 2124.3 m.; 134 hrs, 59 min; 15.7 mph.
3rd Qt tot: 36 rides; 1947.2 m.; 121 hrs, 48 min; 16.0 mph.
Oct tot: 9 rides; 551.4m.; 35 hrs, 41 min; 15.4 mph.
Nov tot: 6 rides; 247.1m.; 15 hrs, 42 min; 15.7 mph.
YTD: 114 rides; 5625.5 m.; 355 hrs, 46 min; 15.8 mph. 

Rolling 12-mos.: 123 rides; 6027.2 m.; 380 hrs, 10 min; 15.9 mph
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A year ago on Thanksgiving morning, Lt. Dave and I rode a lake loop plus some extra bits.  42.4 miles @ 16.6 mph pace.  And it was not nearly as hard as the ride described above.  I was sooo much faster late last year than I am this year.  Sigh.