Some basic stats for today:
Distance: 85.52 km
Time: 2:35:25
Avg. Speed: 33.016 kph
Avg HR: 164
Max HR: 185
What this doesn't show is the 15km stretch where I drafted a dump truck. Here's the scenario. I'm turning onto Rte 187. For those not familiar, Rte 187 is a slight (1-2%) incline from Iwakuni to Nishiki. It's two lanes, with little to no shoulder on either side. There are a few excavation areas where they are dragging dirt down or taking dirt up to do work along the river bank. Typically, I ride the 43km route from Iwakuni to Nishiki, and return back for an 87km stretch of reasonably level road. There's always a steady wind either up the river valley or back down it (though rarely back down hill).
Today, I turned onto Rte 187 and hopped behind the dump truck. The speed limit on Rte 187 is 50kph, but few vehicles, if any, do that speed limit. Fortunately for me, this dump truck had a good load of dirt in the bed, so he was in no hurry to throw it around the road. So off we went, my destination today was the Rte 5 turn off to go over the mountains back to Iwakuni.
Initially, the road cuts through a residential area with a school yard on the side of the road. Traffic here goes 45-50kph so it's a good place to catch a draft for a little bit before starting the trek up the river valley. Much to my surprise, as we rolled out of the residential area and up the river valley, my friendly dump truck driver never really pushed more then 55kph. I had to slide between cadences a little bit. I had to stand up to move myself back into the slip stream at 50kph a couple times when he'd accelerate around a turn. But for the next 15 kilometers we were cruising, and it was awesome.
Now, granted, today was supposed to be a steady paced distance day. That just never happened. It was encouraging to be able to keep up with this guy and accelerate out of some of the turns and stay with him. A few times in a row it's really felt like I've blown past the peak for this year and am getting slower and slower. But six months ago, at 55kph, slipstream or no, the truck woulda dropped me like a load of dirt.
We stopped for road work once and the dump truck that was following me and my motor-pacer smiled and gave me the big thumbs up. I hope he was thinking "Man, that guy is cruising!" Or, he could have been saying "Look at that guy cheat!"
Either way, the opportunities to go 50-55kph for 15 kilometers in this neck of the woods are few and far between. I'll take 'em where I can get 'em!
VW
Distance: 85.52 km
Time: 2:35:25
Avg. Speed: 33.016 kph
Avg HR: 164
Max HR: 185
What this doesn't show is the 15km stretch where I drafted a dump truck. Here's the scenario. I'm turning onto Rte 187. For those not familiar, Rte 187 is a slight (1-2%) incline from Iwakuni to Nishiki. It's two lanes, with little to no shoulder on either side. There are a few excavation areas where they are dragging dirt down or taking dirt up to do work along the river bank. Typically, I ride the 43km route from Iwakuni to Nishiki, and return back for an 87km stretch of reasonably level road. There's always a steady wind either up the river valley or back down it (though rarely back down hill).
Today, I turned onto Rte 187 and hopped behind the dump truck. The speed limit on Rte 187 is 50kph, but few vehicles, if any, do that speed limit. Fortunately for me, this dump truck had a good load of dirt in the bed, so he was in no hurry to throw it around the road. So off we went, my destination today was the Rte 5 turn off to go over the mountains back to Iwakuni.
Initially, the road cuts through a residential area with a school yard on the side of the road. Traffic here goes 45-50kph so it's a good place to catch a draft for a little bit before starting the trek up the river valley. Much to my surprise, as we rolled out of the residential area and up the river valley, my friendly dump truck driver never really pushed more then 55kph. I had to slide between cadences a little bit. I had to stand up to move myself back into the slip stream at 50kph a couple times when he'd accelerate around a turn. But for the next 15 kilometers we were cruising, and it was awesome.
Now, granted, today was supposed to be a steady paced distance day. That just never happened. It was encouraging to be able to keep up with this guy and accelerate out of some of the turns and stay with him. A few times in a row it's really felt like I've blown past the peak for this year and am getting slower and slower. But six months ago, at 55kph, slipstream or no, the truck woulda dropped me like a load of dirt.
We stopped for road work once and the dump truck that was following me and my motor-pacer smiled and gave me the big thumbs up. I hope he was thinking "Man, that guy is cruising!" Or, he could have been saying "Look at that guy cheat!"
Either way, the opportunities to go 50-55kph for 15 kilometers in this neck of the woods are few and far between. I'll take 'em where I can get 'em!
VW