The bark, like old skin,
Wrinkles around the branches
Reaching out to live.
Friday, July 13, 2018
Three months after returning to the states I bought a very nice new road bike for my 60th birthday. I’ve tried to get out and ride it twice a week since. And just like the previous three years in Panama, almost all of that riding has been by myself. Wednesday, I was reminded how different running and riding by yourself can be when it comes to training and improvement.
I like long solo efforts both running and riding. I’ve also never felt that running solo has hindered my performance. But as much as I enjoy riding solo, just the short time I was able to hang with a decent group on Wednesday, reminded me both of how much I enjoy an occasional group ride and just how the shear physical and mental dynamics of group riding can dramatically increase performance. Within just two weeks, under very similar conditions, I improved my time over my 45 mile Fernwood loop by 10 minutes starting off with a group that I only hung with for about the first half hour of my ride.
Fortunately, I’m only planning on doing two duathlons this year and am not planning on trying to qualify for the World Duathlon Championships. Next year, though, I’ll have another look and will have to seriously consider finding a group to systematically ride with if I want to be at my best.
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