Two Wheel Blogs

Ah-h-h-h-h-h ... three-day weekend!

In one respect, it seems like the Fourth of July holiday was just yesterday. In another, it seems like it was ages ago. I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since I got back from my trip to Minnesota, which was my last time off from work. I drove up Thursday, I was in my hometown for two days, and I drove home Sunday. That trip was too short and required too much driving to count as "time off." So I've been looking forward to this weekend -- been looking forward to it "big time" -- especially as it marks the beginning of the cross country season.

As I've posted earlier, Edwardsville lost a fine runner this season. Daniel Mazar, a senior, will be running for Rockwood Summit High School in Fenton, Mo., this year. Next year, he'll probably be running for the Division I college of his choice. Edwardsville's loss is Fenton's gain. Huge gain. Rockwood Summit kicked off their season running at the First Capitol Meet at McNair Park in St. Charles this afternoon. It wasn't far from where I work, so I swung by on my way home.

Last spring, Daniel's track season was cut short by a stress fracture. It prevented him from running the full season. Nevertheless, at the end of the season, his doctor cleared him to run four races -- that's it. No running in between: only the races. Even with that limitation, running only with the fitness he could maintain through pool running and riding a stationary cycle, he was still able to finish 6th at the state meet in the 800-meter run. If he'd been healthy all season, he would have challenged for the state championship.

His leg was still bothering him early this summer, so he did little running in June and July. He was able to run in August, but limited to running every other day and only three miles at a time. For a high school cross country runner, that is severly limited mileage. Despite that, in his first race, he finished 10th with a time of 17:10, only 40 seconds behind the winner. If he can stay healthy all season, he could do something at the state meet. It was good to see him run again.

I had intended to take the afternoon off, drive to McNair Park, park my car there, then go for a ride until the meet started. But I ended up working through the afernoon. Since I had my bike with me, I decided to stop for a ride on the way home. I parked at the SIUE cross country course and suited up. I then headed west down Poag Road, riding into the wind the whole way. I was coming down off the bluffs, an incline that should be good for 20-21 mph easily. Instead, I was going 17, maybe 18 mph.

I got a little relief when I turned north onto Wanda. I climbed Moreland, then turned west into the wind again on the rolling stretch of Rock Hill. This was the worst part of the ride, as I fought both the west wind and the quick succession of small hills. When I turned north into Belk Park, I felt instant relief. And when I finally turned east onto Buchta, putting the wind at my back, my recovery was complete. I found myself rolling at 26 mph with ease. It was a pretty sweet ride.

When I turned south onto Moreland, the wind was now blowing across me, but it was less of an impediment than when I was climbing. I rolled down Wanda, then finally made the last left turn back onto Poag, the wind squarely at my back again. I climbed back up the bluffs, then turned into the parking lot of the cross country course, having covered 20 miles in 1:11, a 17.2 mph pace.

I wanted to get tonight's ride in. I've got three days now to do whatever I want, and I plan to run nad/or ride some on each of them. But I didn't want to miss tonight's ride. The ride was a respite, a transition from the obligations of the work week to the freedom of the weekend. And I wanted the wind. I know I've griped about it -- a lot -- in previous posts. And yes, most rides, I could do without it. I accept that some wind is inevitable, and I do my best to ride with it, but as Boz once described it "It's like an endless hill." But not tonight. Tonight I welcomed it. I wasn't going to ride hard, forcing myself to sustain a 18-19 mph pace for an hour. But the wind forced me to work harder than I would have without it. I wanted to eat it on the way out. If I rode into it on my way out, I figured, I was entitled to have its help on my way back in. That's fair.