Another Critical Workout

I psyched myself up for tonight's ride. It was 6:45 when I finally rolled out of the driveway- getting cool out too- I used a wool s/s base layer under a l/s jersey and a wind vest and leg warmers. Had just the right amount of ventilation. A long sleeve wind jacket would have been too much. I am sure glad I took that apple with me. On the big downhill that is route 12, I horked it down and that "need a stack of pancakes" kind of hunger went away. To drink- the large bottle had 4 parts Coca-Cola to 1 part water- my favorite. The small bottle was all water. Fully charged headlight- check. Tail light blinky- check. Two spares and a pump- check. Headband to keep the ears warm plus a skullcap in the pocket for later- check (I added the hat after 90 minutes- it was getting kind of raw outside) Now I know that doing the same route over and over is frowned upon by some and considered to be the enemy of fun times.. but I like the predictability. When you put yourself out there with a specific plan of action, a specific amount of work, a specific intensity- better not to screw around with roads and with distances which you're not very familiar with. This route is challenging, varied, and keeps me close to home- I'm never more than 10 miles away from the house, yet it's 57 miles and doubles back on itself for only 1 mile. At any rate- what makes a critical workout, critical? If I need to tell you, then you probably aren't doing any such rides, and to you, a ride is a ride is a ride- they're all equally fun yet regrettably, they're pointless junk relative to getting faster. If you DO know what I mean, then we should agree that it's the one ride on your Mon-Fri schedule that should be the last one you omit from your program, let's say, due to life requirements or other limitations. For some, it could be a smack-down ride in a group. For others, it might be a training race. For me, it's the Tour de Murat- and it's always done alone and in private, and it's always the one ride I think about and plan a week or more in advance. At any rate, what do I know? The stuff that works for me, at least I share it here freely and don't collect a check from you for the privilege. I got home at 9:45. Enjoy the data: