Team Shad: In Pursuit of Nut

The Virginian and Dubstoevsky

Team Shad convened at the Leverett Coop for a training ride in the hills and the flats of Wendell Erving Warwick Northfield Gill Sunderland Montague Shutesbury, a ride that also included many interactions with the mighty Connecticut River.

A perfect weather Saturday, cool early on and sun warm into afternoon.

The Virginian is in excellent form. He's been training with grit and focus for months. I spend much of the day staring at his back, sometimes closer and sometimes from afar. But that's good. As captain of Team Shad, my role is to assay the squad's conditioning.

That's easy to determine today. The Virginian, aka Nut (which is how I will refer to him forthwith),
tells me that for the last few weeks, he's been averaging 60 miles per per ride. And it shows. He climbs effortlessly. On the rolling flats down the west side of the Connecticut River, after 40 miles, he rolls majestically along at a brisk pace. He's methodical. Tireless.

At times, rolling at speed into the wind rushing up the Connecticut River, I tucked in behind him and gratefully attached my flow to his, examining his conditioning close up. I concluded that his relentless, almost monastic, pace combined with his occasional inclination to accelerate uphill and his utter fearlessness on the decent, indicated that not only was Nut in perfect race form but that he also seemed prime for team leadership.

Images From Saturday, September 19, 2015

Connecticut River

In pursuit of Nut

Still in pursuit of Nut

Crossing Miller's River

I'd never been on this stretch of bike path in Greenfield, but it was fantastic. I thought alternately that I was in a Charles Sheeler painting or riding through a Dutch village.

Canal Style

Greenfield bike path

Holland

Ever in pursuit of Nut

We rode on, down the west bank of the Connecticut, south toward Sunderland and the blue bridge.

Finally I have him in my sights

Mt Tom witnesses the catch

Then there was later, around mile 45 when we hit the flats heading north out of Sunderland center and past the huge 300 year old sycamore tree when, enjoying the tailwind, Nut decided to kick up the pace to 21 mph. He sailed and I labored. But that's good, that's what you want in a teammate. A relentless driver with an irie attitude.

Week in Review

Thickly Settled en route to Bancroft Tower

Several rides this week. Before one of them, I forgot to activate Strava tracking so didn't log that particular venture. But this weekend, April 18th and 19th, two fine rides in the luggage. Woo City to the Reservoir on Saturday and a jaunt west on Sunday to hook up with a resurgent Team Shad: The Virginian, I Ward, Dubstoevsky, and an alternate, MB, he of the blue sno cone attire, a lanky rouleur who I've known since the Days of the Dead.

April 18, 2015
Bancroft Tower

The important ride of the weekend was Sunday, April 19 when Team Shad communed in Montague, Mass. Team Shad, assembled for the first time this year. Already we've missed the Rasputitsa, our spring/summer racing schedule is in turmoil, but we have achieved a focus. We have set our sights on the D2R2 in late August. It's a thin schedule to be sure but we're counting on a positive outcome.

MB, I Ward, The Virginian
Team Shad

Crossing the Connecticut River in Sunderland

Eschewing the hills, we opted for riding up and down the Connecticut River, throwing in a few forays into farm land (Hadley, Sunderland, Hatfield) and some minor climbs in Whately. The Connecticut River was a constant presence.

I Ward riding north on River Rd

Crop Circle

The Do Dah Man

In the end, we notched 44+ miles. Not exactly fast (15.4 mph) and with not much climbing, but that's what training camp is about. An exploration. A process of building form. Of honing rusty skills and finding a rhythm.

Summary: 44.5 miles, 15.4 mph, 2.45 hours, not a lot of wind,a little over 60 degrees.