Grind On

Lately I have really been hammering some rides out. I started mixing in some flatter rides so that I could get some time in just sitting and spinning for a long distance. I am hoping that all of this will pay off at the Almanzo 100 this weekend. A month ago I was thinking that I should finish it in 7h30m, but as the date gets closer I really think that I should be pushing myself for 7h. It is not an "easy" course by far, but there are a lot of flat sections that I think I can hammer out at a good pace. My goal will be go out strong and try and catch on with some of the faster riders and use their draft to my advantage. I did this with some success at the Mammoth Gravel Classic and we were pushing 19mph for a good period of time. I am going to gear at 42x18 and hope that I have the strength for the later hills. 42x20 was a good choice for the hills at the Ragnarok, but on the flats I felt like I wasted a lot of energy just spinning my legs to keep a decent pace. My one concern about the race is water. It is getting hot fast and my body is not used to it. Yesterday I went for a 32 mile ride and downed an entire water bottle easily. Having to go 100 I will have to figure something out. With only possibly having some support 40 miles in, I am going to have to either conserve water and possibly slow my pace, or hope that my body can adjust over the next couple of days and will need less water then lately. Either way, I am feeling strong for this race and hope to come in with a good time.