Sunday Recovery Ride...is there really such a thing with racers???

Everyone waiting before the start of the ride.....

Some Shama Cycles team members having a meeting to discuss
the strategy for the recovery ride upon us...

It was Stephanie's birthday today....so we decorated her Guru for the ride

Amy with her new Geneo...wearing a kit from Canada for a team that Guru sponsors.

Doug's choice of "post ride nutrition" at Taqueria Aranda's

So the weather in Houston the past couple of weeks has been CRAP and totally putting a damper on my come back. Because I am a fare weather ride and loath the trainer...if it ain't dry I am not riding. I don't want to get my kit to get dirty...or my pretty bike. So anyway...finally we have a dry weekend even though its crazy cold for Houston. Saturday we did a ride through Old Town Spring and it was great. Nice long ride, good pace and great group. Sunday was the big one though. We planned out a new route and planned it as the "Sunday Recovery Ride" and mapped out about 53 miles. With bagels and coffee pre and post ride...we were set for the perfect day. I don't know what it is about starting out when its 38 degrees but I never feel like going that fast in the cold. We had a great group...at least 40 riders. We leave the shop and make a right on to N. Post Oak and look up the road and there is already a 50 yard gap. ARE YOU FOR REAL? We "surge" up the road and catch on and make the left onto Hempsted Hwy there we go again...sprinting to catch back on. Shelby (Nationaly ranked trackie) even started to complain which was pretty funny. None the less he we are flying down the road on a "recovery ride". I swear you can't put two road racers together on a ride with out them trying to "half wheel" each other while trying to carry on a calm conversation. hahaha We hit some lights on the way out and with a group this large it easy to split the group. I hung back with the stragglers that were actually doing a "recovery pace" and rolled for a couple miles before catching up with the rest of the hammer heads while they waited for us at a corner. We hit some amazing roads and great stretches. Finally the pace slowed after my friend and team mate Jeff Gardner pulled off and cut his ride short. We love Jeff and I am glad he races for me and not against me...but recovery ride for that guy is like at 24mph. Finally we hit George Bush Park and rolled through there with some speed. We ride here alot during the week so I knew where to take off and where draft. Had some fun at some good speeds and then when we hit the end at Briar Forest and Hwy 6 we shut it down and waited for everyone else. We got to hear Shelby and Laura complain AGAIN about the pace...they wanted to keep it a recovery ride or as Aimee called it "postpartum pace". This was Aimee's first group ride back after having her little baby which put out her out of racing the 2009 season. She left the 2008 season strong and was KILLING it in the training rides last off season...but her husband Trey wanted to focus on his season and needed a feedzone chic so he got his darling bride pregnant. haha Needless to say it was GREAT to have Aimee back out with us as we ALL missed her on the bike and can't wait to have her racing with us again this season.
In all we finished the ride safe and a little warmer than when we started which made all happy...especially as we devoured the rest of the bagels...donuts...coffee and whatever else was in the fridge. Great day, great ride, great friends...I love my job.