My fitness has slowed a little the last two weeks.  I had been shooting for a big result in my local crit, the North Boulder Crit, literally one block from our house.  It’s my little TdF.  However, a trip to visit family on the Maine coast cost me 7 days of training.  Not feeling top notch upon my return, I went on a noon ride and found myself hurting, but too stubborn to drop off the pace.  Instead, I applied a tactic that I only use sparingly, because if it fails, the outcome is the opposite of what one is trying to acheive.  We are hammering, big ring, up Lefthand Canyon, a gradual climb that on this day with this wind was being done in the 53/19.  About 15 minutes up the canyon, I’m hurting and can feel that I’m nearing my anaerobic breaking point, so I juice it.  My objective is simple: I’m trying to make the others – at this point, there are only two others – believe that I’m strong and if they want to be able to make it to the top with me, they better conserve their energy; the goal being that they slow down on their pulls.  Didn’t work out on this day.  I forgot the important part of this tactic: you can’t actually blow up when you juice it.  Lesson learned. 

My advice to others who may attempt this tactic: make sure that your surge doesn’t irritate the folks on your wheel and make sure you leave enough in the tank to get back on the last wheel. 

I must say, on other occasions, this tactic has worked quite well.  Try it out, see if it works; sometimes it works like a charm and can be especially useful when you’re training with guys who like to ride Medium – you know, that annoying speed that isn’t fast, but is hard. 

Try it.