A solid training weekend

With one week to go before the race season's opener in Cologne and three weeks before my first endurance event (Flanders, 265km), I am happy to have managed over 250 of training kilometers last weekend. On Saturday I went out with my Agapedia teammate Alexander Nikolopoulos (check his blog as well!). He is also part of a new triathlon club in Frankfurt and they were getting together on the road bike for the first time this year. I was actually surprised to see some 25 people at Friedberger Warte at 10:30! They split up in three groups according to pace and ambition. I joined the first with approx. 15 riders.

The ride was good, towards Büdingen, but a bit longer than anticipated. I had prepared myself mentally for a three-hour outing, but it turned out to be close to five hours! I had been sprinting on a few hills now and then, so in the last hour I was beginning to feel the effort and two cereal bars were just not enough for lunch...

Because I had been running on an empty tank for a while, I felt more tired in the legs than usual on Sunday morning. After watching Hamilton take the chequered flag in Melbourne and a good strong cup of Trung Nguyen coffee, I pedalled towards Bornheim to pick up Morten.

Sunday marked the start of the Frankfurt RTF season in Niederdorfelden. Alex, Lorenzo and the two Julias were also present, and together with Alex's friend Bernd - also a former Strassacker rider - and a few other riders we took off for a scenic and pleasant 110km course. The weather was so-so, with rainshowers every now and again but overall it could have been worse. Initially I could just sit in the wheels. Alex and Bernd kept the pace high up front. Gradually I got more into it, but back at home I concluded that the stamina is there, but the explosivity may be lacking somewhat. We'll find out in Köln next week.