Game on

I had one of my best, if not THE best training ride I've ever done. My game was on! I got a Polar cadence sensor for Christmas, and since I began using it, it has really helped my training.
Previously, I had a hard time judging my cadence (I'd count the number of times my knee would be at the top of the pedal stroke.), and keeping it within the recommended 80-90rpm range while at the same time keeping my HR in the proper zone. Until I got the cadence sensor I would finish my rides with my average HR on the very low end of the range I needed to be in. Knowing my cadence has really helped alot.


Anyway...on to today's ride. As I took off on my ride, another rider was prepping to go out as well. As far as I know he left a couple of minutes behind me. As he was on a road bike and I was on my mtn bike, I fully expected him to catch me about half way to the first stop sign(about 15 minutes out). Well, I reached the first stop sign, but that guy hadn't caught me. I chalked it up to him not being in a rush, or took longer to leave. Due to a military exercise, I had to turn around at the stop sign and head back. 2 or 3 minutes after heading back, I pass that fella. This time I just knew he'd catch me before I'd get back to the car. To make a long story short (too late, I know), he never caught me. About 2 minutes after I arrived, he showed up. As he came past me he said, "damn, you're fast on that thing!" We talked for a few minutes. I complimented him on his spiffy new carbon fiber Trek road bike. He said that he was going as hard as he could to catch me, but just couldn't catch up to me.
Now, I'm not one to boast about this sort of thing normally, as you can read just about any mtn biking forum and see many a tall tale of a guy on his mtn bike putting the hurt on some road bikers. Generally, it's a load of crap. I don't put a lot of stock in what happened today...it's not like I held off Lance Armstrong or nothin', but the fact that a reasonably fit guy, riding a 17lb carbon fiber road bike, couldn't catch me on my 30+lb mtn bike, complete with improper gearing for road riding and...well, it made me feel good. To be honest, I sat there smiling about it for a good 10 minutes.


Couple that with a really good mtn bike ride later in the day, and it was just a good riding day.