Training for next spring’s ride to South Texas continues. According to the schedule, today’s “long ride” was to be 34 miles at a moderate pace.  But the weather was uncharacteristically warm and the Round Rock Outlaw Trail Century was being held at Old Settler’s Park just down the road.  So I decided to splurge and do the 40 mile tour (I’m not anywhere near in shape to do a century) of northeastern Williamson County.

The Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department has learned a few things about how to host a ride in the past 15 years.  There was plenty of parking, registration was a breeze (although kind of expensive at $30.00), the route was well marked, and the aid stations at approximately 10 mile intervals were well stocked and manned by very friendly people.  Weather was almost perfect:  low 60’s to start (8:00 AM), and getting up to 80 or so by the time the century riders finished.  And, of course, there were plenty of nice-looking ladies in their cycling garb—plenty of incentive all in itself to go for a bike ride.

I pushed myself during the second half of the ride and finished slightly faster than I’ve been averaging recently.  I was tired, but not completely exhausted.  I know I could have gone for 50 miles, but it’s not a good idea to push that hard this early in my training.  I’ll be doing long rides of 70 miles and more soon enough, but jumping that far ahead is a sure way to sustain an overtraining injury.  No thanks.  I’ll build slowly.  Next week I’m back to the standard training schedule.  The “long ride” next Saturday is only 38 miles.