2nd group ride...Meriden Mountain...CC-RH..

Oh man...


Road out in RH group with CC last night...B. Went to Meriden Mountain, without the mountain for me. Tough, we were pushing 17 mph most of the way up hill going out...Man my lungs were burning. When we got to the break off point in the route, I went right to get home faster, and road by myself, I could not take that pace anymore. After a bit of recovery, I got back in a grove and made it home fine without being caught. My Garmin's battery was low and went out in  the middle of the ride, no data.  It also woould not give me my routes, weird. This morning I reinstalled software, and maps...Hope it worked. One of the hardest rides of the year for me. Most hills I felt great on, except the one going from the Berlin Bike Shop out to MM. Too steep for me to maintain any pace.
I need another winter of training to be able to handle the B group pace and maybe another 20 lbs or so.  This will come with time and DIET!  I want to take my time though, as trying to loose too much to quick will lead to muscle loss, not good.  The thing is, I do not need to ride with a group to enjoy cycling.  I guess I am a LONG WOLF.  I enjoy the ride at my own pace, out on the road by myself, as I always have and did.  Some people love the challenge of being pushed by others, not me.  I guess my days of ultra competitiveness are behind me.  Although I did not enjoy the slow pace of Tuesday night's ride either....I need a C+ or B- group maybe....Just need to get stronger on the hills...
As the season is getting short, my dream of having a new wheel set is being pushed back to this fall, or next spring.  I want to have it for the winter session to get the hubs ready for the road over the course of winter training.  I am looking at the Dura Ace 7850 sl or cl clincher rims.  I always have had dura ace, and want them badly.  Not that they will make all that much difference, as my wheels roll incredible now, but are very heavy, being 36 spoke wheels.  They could make a difference on the hills, but not enough to offsett my weight, which is the main goal here.  You know when you just want something, and no matter what anyone says you are going to have that thing...I want them...badly!

"getting better all the time" (Beatles)