Hains Point "slay fest" aka "The Noontime Peloton" is a pretty neat phenomenon. Every day around lunch time, local racers meet on a 3.2 mile loop of road that sticks out into the Potomac river to ride some laps. The groups are random, with riders ranging from pro to Cat 5. There's some pretty strong riding, powerful attacks, strung-out fields, dudes in aerobars, and chicks that ride on the front. It's a pretty eclectic scene. One side of the loop can see speed upwards of 29 mph and beyond, and the other side is usually somewhat windy. The road is also occupied by runners, speed skaters, tour buses, casual riders, and the occasional homeless person. Add to that, the fact that the police randomly choose days to target cyclists for not stopping at the stop signs, and it sounds like the worst-nightmare-of-a-group-ride that you could imagine. However, somehow, it all works. It usually goes off without a hitch, and best of all, it's always a great workout.
Today I went to Hains Point with the intention of just doing a 2x20 threshold workout. Once I realized that I was right on time for the Slayfest, I decided to abandon my own workout and ride laps with the fast guys. This is the third week that I've begun to open up my legs a little bit and push above my calculated FTP. I've been working out aerobically at an FTP of 234. Today's numbers show me that I'm progressing well, and starting to make some gains in power.
Below is a link to the ride file loaded to Garmin Connect.
Sounds like fun!!!
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