Spin to Win

So it's been about three months since I've started on my quest to increase my cadence.
If you've been following along at home, you remember how I got shamed when I did the Haleiwa Metric Century by my brother, but by having the same view of him for fifty or so miles I was able to pick up a few things.
For one thing, I rarely use the big ring up front anymore.
It's gotten to the point where it no longer feels comfortable; I can't believe I rode on it almost all the time.
No, I wasn't pushing a 44/12 all the time, more like a 44/17, and when I visit that combination now, the effort it takes seems gargantuan.
I've been working the 32/15, 32/14 combination almost exclusively for the last four hundred miles or so and it's paid off:



Okay, don't laugh, I never said I was faster.
Not speed wise anyways.
Back in April, I was averaging pretty much the same speed, except my cadence was a paltry 68.
I had difficulty staying in the 70s for any length of time. Okay sure, I could hold a cadence of 75 for a couple of miles, but after that I was pretty cooked.
Big gears kill.
The point of no return finds you fast.
So I began to turn the smaller gears.
Let me tell you, it wasn't too much fun. I mean at first, I had a hard time maintaining anything in the 80s. I mean I could, but I would slow it down anytime I exceeded a certain heart rate.
Training, my brother said.
Spinning out, I said.
During this time, my universe was out of whack!
I mean here I was, pedaling like mad, but going really really slow!
Check out that dude! He's getting nowhere fast!
Very bad for the image, don't you know.
I persevered.
I shall be fast like the winds of the hurricane!
Or shame myself trying!
I kept thinking of Joe Walsh, floating in a pool: "But Seriously Folks..."



That is until I began to see results.
My average cadence began to increase incrementally.
Not only that, I was able to hold it without maxing out my heart rate.
Now, I'm happy to report, I have to be in the 90s to see my heart rate climb, and I can actually "cruise" at around 85 to lower it!
Wow! My body actually responded to this training stuff!
Maybe there's something to it after all.
Not that I'm any faster.
I'm hoping that will come once I break like the 200 cadence barrier.
Then again, why settle for 200?
Maybe I can get it up to like, maybe, a GAGILLION!
Who needs a big ring?
I'll do all my riding in the granny gear, thank you.
Okay, not really.
So anyways, I think I have to revisit some of those cycling books I got, just to see if I missed anything good:



I admit, I didn't read through them all as most are written for serious training. They are filled with all kinds of boring information like: don't mash, spin!
Speaking of books, I went to the school bibliotheque today and got these:



Now at least I got some basic cactus info so when my seeds come in I won't be spinning my wheels.
Wait.
That's a good thing.
Spinning, I mean.