Bud's Ride: And Awaaay They Go...

chillin' in the Village before the leg burnin'

I don't think I have ever made it out to the first Bud's Ride of the year, and unfortunately all my hopes that the first would be less intense than any that come after, quickly vanished. Of course taking photos, at the place and time where things predictably rev up, did not help any. If you are not ready by mid-March around here, you'll be playing catch up no matter what. None of that makes any difference really, the struggle is worth it, and if it were not fun I wouldn't be doing it. 

Some things I realized last night: 1) There is no such thing as early season early for the Bud's Ride. Not at all. It may only be March, but these guys are already going too fast. 2) No more mountain bike rides at noon, and Bud's rides in the evening. 3) The peloton keeps getting proportionally younger each year, and they don't respect the slowness of their elders. 4) Taking photos at the back while the bunch races away up the hill - overconfidence, or stupidity? Yup. As long as the wheels are turning, the camera stays in the pocket. 5) Long miles at a steady (and solid) pace are one thing, but I need to do some more speed work.

See, the thing about the Bud's Ride is that it just doesn't let up. While the pace of other so-called training rides may relax from time to time, the pace of the Bud's Ride is relentless. Sure it may start as a parade, but once the group hits the Bonelli Park circuit, it's go man, go. You are either strong enough to contribute, mediocre enough to hang on, or ... well, you know. The Bud's takes off from Starbucks in Claremont Village, Yale & 2nd, at 5:30 each Wednesday during daylight savings.

long shadows early on

oh, damn that's a big gap

the group exploded same time as the sun