Paperclip Ride

Today's group ride was interesting. It's called the Paperclip Ride because the route takes you down the feeder road of IH-45, then turns around and heads right back up the other direction, so it looks like a paperclip. We start off and I'm barely putting out any watts, and everyone's just spinning along like we're out with the kids or something. : p Then someone kicks it up a notch and I'm working harder...then harder...then even harder and I'm still just drafting! Then I take a pull, and I'm thinking, "eh, this isn't TOO too bad," and when I pull off I'm to the back of the pack in seconds cuz I'm so tired and they're so strong. I somehow work hard enough to cut back into the middle somewhere, and try to stay in the draft as well as possible with the ridiculous headwind, and being in the draft was QUITE noticeable at that point. After a while, they just keep accelerating so much that I can't hold that kind of power anymore, I lose the guy's wheel, and I get spit out the back. That was a little deflating. So now I still am working pretty hard, and putting out pretty decent power on my own, and after I make the turnaround, I notice a few guys way up ahead that got dropped too. I think to myself, "if i can get them at a traffic light, then at least I'll make it back not alone." So I keep cranking away, and every time I catch sight of them again around a bend in the road I get another little boost of energy, and I finally caught them. It felt good, and they laughed with me when they realized I was right behind them, panting like a dog. LOL But I'm proud of myself for working to catch them, and it was then that I realized it was mostly P123's that I was riding with in the first place, so I should expect to get dropped, right? : p All in all a good ride, and I am POOPED. Time for bed. (: