Texas Canine Ambush   
 Ride Stats
Distance: 34.49 miles Altitude Gain: 2,400 ft Avg Speed: 13.67 mph
Route: Horseblock Loop Avg Grade: 0 % Max Grade: 0 %
Max HR: 155 bpm Avg HR: 126 bpm Terrain: Road: Steep
Bike: Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd Road Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club
Weather Conditions: Sun\Clouds 72 F Wind E @ 8 mph
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 Horseblock Loop
Took a couple days off but didn't seem to help my recovery as numbers are still too low. Relocated to Oxford, AL original plan had been for a couple days of climbing. Used to work in the area and it have fond memories of riding here. Thought I would at least ride a thirty mile rolling course that I picked off the internet. Grade profile showed only one climb. Things started out poorly as had developed a stiff neck during the night severely limiting my ability to look to the left. Second unwelcome issue was a return of chest pains as I started to climb a highway upgrade into the wind. Had to back off my already fairly slow pace before even reaching the start of the loop. After a couple of slow miles, I reached the start of the loop and things improved drastically. While still working against a headwind the terrain had flattened out, I was doing some pleasant riding through cotton fields. Having spent most of my life riding through cornfields, the cotton fields were a welcome change. After fifteen miles of nice riding, I had to dismount the bike to make a left hand turn since I couldn't turn my head to the left to check traffic. Got out on a highway and started a five hundred foot climb that I was familiar with. Chest pains returned on the climb but thought I could spin out the climb then coast downhill back to the start to finish off the ride. Checked my computer and it noted that I had two more almost immediate climbs once over the first one. The second one was another five-hundred footer and the third was over eight-hundred. It was a few hundred more feet than I planned on climbing. Some of the grades were in the mid-teens which prevented me from spinning over them. Had one big climbing day planned for this leg of the trip but looked like I would be getting some bonus elevation in. Thought briefly about abandoning the planned loop and since I was already half way up Cheaha Mountain and turning this into my big climb day. A man has to know his limitations and reason ruled out and started descending back down the mountain. Had a few miles of fast downhill and a couple more miles of fairly flat riding to get back to the start. So ended up with a good ten miles of tough climbing. Didn't climb very well but kept on plugging along. Would have been delighted with a fourteen but ended up doing too much coasting on the downhill. Course turned out to be much tougher than planned.

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10/19 - Horseblock Loop
10/16 - Boiling Springs NC Loop
10/15 - Cowpens
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Lifetime: 115,537 mi
Member No. 37801
Member since: Dec 2009
Home: Montour Falls, NY 
Look Blade RS 795 Iconic Ltd
Road bike
Schuyler County Cycling Club

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