Golfers (especially hackers like me) are familiar with the term "Sandbagger" - it refers to someone who shows up for a golf day claiming a 24 handicap and then promptly plays like a pro and sweeps up the main prize. When challenged, the Sandbagger will say things like "I don't really know what my handicap is", "I haven't played for a while" or "I don't know this course". I've recently become aware that something similar happens in online Scrabble, of all things. One of my regular opponents, who I know has a great vocabulary, has been playing words like "dupped", "nain", "ditt" and "tocher", and just beat me with them. You wouldn't get away with this in regular Scrabble, but when Prof.Google is on the next tab...... The rough equivalent of a Sandbagger in cycling is a "liar", someone who goes out with the 16-18mph pace group and promptly drops everyone like a bad habit.
Kevin is anything but a liar but I did accuse him of sandbagging me last Saturday morning. He picked me up for a Zube run and made lots of noise about not wanting to ride Sealy and keeping the pace reasonable because he was out of shape and practise. Sure Kevin.
Off we went, just the two of us (the Mules were doing one of the organized rides), under threatening, grey skies. As ever Kevin set a hot pace to "warm up" but I was able to hang on. When we got to the first set of climbs, where I mugged him last week, I put on a good surge and got in front, but he was right on my wheel all the way. Out of shape and tired? I don't think so and chaffed him a bit, whereupon he invoked "muscle memory", which I refuse to believe is a thing.
The wind was on our rear quarter on the way out and we got to the gas station with an average over 18mph, pretty hot for me. This meant the run back would be tough and indeed it was, but I talked him into sharing the pulling duties half-a-mile at a time, and that helped us a lot.
Back at the start and we'd run the 46 miles at a little over 15 mph average. If we get the same wind for the MS150 we'll be laughing all the way - fingers crossed!
Bear Creek - Terry Hershey loop
Daily commute to work
This isn't quite right but it's close. 9.5 miles, about 40 minutes.
Terry Hershey Park
10 miles of safe, paved cycling bliss - except for all the foot traffic
The Sealy ride
45 miles through very pretty Texas countryside. Looks benign but there's a very hilly section at mile 35.
The Katy ride
It's on the Katy prairie - flat, flat, flat
2 comments:
Pride goeth along with the sandbags, we averaged 16.2 overall! A good ride that required a long nap and still didn't feel recovered, and I remember pointing out that YOU were the one pushing things like your bloody assault on the hills! I preach the virtue of hill rides and now I have a pesky convert to deal with on every slope!
well, the natural order was restored on the run to Prairie View, where I got the usual view of your saddle flying effortlessly up the climbs in the distance!
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