Hammerfest

Well, I was going to meet up with Lorin this morning, but couldn't find him. I was running about 5 minutes behind again this morning because of this. As I made my way up to Johnson Drive on Merriam Lane, I had trouble getting the light to change, and no cars were around to trigger it. Remembering back to Monday, I decided to hit the crosswalk button and get back out into the street. Just as I hit the button, I heard Chris screaming at me. I guess he was running even further behind than I was! He always seems to catch up, though.

I tried a newish trick at the stoplight at Broadway on Southwest Blvd. I took the center lane. The right lane is always crowded with people that want to turn right a block up the road. The left lane is a left turn lane onto broadway. The center lane usually has a little less traffic, but the people there are the kind of people who don't want to be stuck behind the slow-down as the right-turners take their sweet time. That means they probably don't want to be stuck behind a slow cyclist either.

The solution? Hammer it. I knew I'd have to make the death slog up Baltimore in just a few blocks, but I hammered in spite of it. I ignited my legs into a high-RPM fury of pain and suffering, working my way through the middle ring and never switching to the third. Faster, legs! FASTER! I held about 30 MPH for a few blocks until getting stopped at the light on Baltimore. The car that was behind me at Broadway was far enough back that I knew I had succeeded in not slowing him down. I made my way up the death slog, and fan into the narrow section where Baltimore narrows to one lane (with a wall on one side) for construction. I had a car behind me, and I was already in the low gear of my middle ring from the climb. I hammered it again, this time for only a block, and uphill, not on level pavement.

Then, I coasted in for coffee. Oh, wonderful coffee!

My legs hurt. Have I mentioned that I haven't used my granny ring at all this week? Maybe monday morning on Baltimore, but ever since, I've been able to tackle all my hills on the middle ring without having to get out of the seat.

Random Tunage:
Moonman (a.k.a. Ferry Corsten) - Galaxia
Notorious B.I.G. - Mo Money, Mo Problems