Last night's group ride... was different. It is supposed to be an easy night.. but lately it seems it has been some of our faster rides of the week.... although some of that has been my fault...
This week after our fast Monday night.. I had promised Matt I would take it easy. He was going to bring his tandem and they are not that fast on it it... although he did not end up bringing it.
I had been in a Native American ceremony for the soldier that had died...a few hours prior.. and they usually leave me pretty wiped out..
I was surprised I could ride at all...
This tuesday night. a bunch of racer boys showed up.. hoping to draft off the tandem. Not that there is ever really anything in this for me.. I don't get much out of it... I just get used..

I definately wanted no part of it last night.. so I rode real slow.. and they sat back there for a while before they got bored.
In addition to racer boys.. we also had some new..slooow people.
I rode near the back.. but even riding my slow was faster than many.. so when we got to a good stopping area.. I would ride back to the last person.. and then back to the stopping spot again.
It got later in the ride.. and it was quite late.. getting dark.. and cold.. there were others.... officially in the sweep postion.. so I rode on ahead.
The ride was about 30 miles.. one of the new ladies..had never ridden that far in her life.. and did not eat for it.. so she was very bonked.. she was out of it.. shaking.. bad.. they got some food into her.. and after about 15 min. she was able to ride slowly.
hmm part way through the ride..some of the racer boys.. came up behind us.. others had gone another way.. well once again they were looking to draft.. we were in an open area with a headwind .. I got down to about 9 mph before they went around... [one of these guys.. is a bad user. He rarely pulls. he just sits in.. and then if he is capable.. attacks and rides off..or tries to]
We had dropped down along the river.. a flat section with a good sized hill up ahead.. .. they were not that far ahead.. so I decided
I actually passed and dropped them on the hill ...

[these are the B racers not our A team] but it was still nice to drop them on a climb..
