Paying Dues

With the Giro getting underway, it's time to ramp up my fitness on the bike. I'm about to leave for a ride where I'm, for certain, about to get pummeled. I'm meeting our "pro" squad today for a fast group ride. These guys aren' realy pro, just Cat 1 & 2s who take bike riding real serious. Some are ex pros; some will become pros. Whatever. They all ride their bike a helluva lot more than I do.

I ride with groups like this a lot. It's no biggie. But I'm not fit yet, so it's going to be ugly out there (especially given we have a couple of cat 1 climbs en route). This is normal for the "start" of a season; the whole dues paying routine. But it always is interesting to get ready for these rides, where you're getting dressed, feeling normal--perhaps even good--but knowing full well that within an hour or so my heart rate will be maxed, I'll be scratching and clawing to not get dropped, and spend the subsequent two hours after that blurry-eyed in a state of delirium caused by oxygen debt and lactic acid build up. It's gonna be, ah-hem, fun.

Oh, and the Giro starts this morning. Check out a Velonew's preview:

The Contenders

team by team

Race Preview

Check back too, cause I will track down the song!

Il grande giro.

Il Grande Giro.

IL GRANDE GIIIRO!...