Mixed Feelings About My First "Tempo Loop" Ride of 2024

After lots of outdoor biking in early March, there was a cooldown for about a month and I didn't get in any "training" rides outside (still commuting to work via bike, though). Earlier this week, I headed out for a quick tempo ride. I did my normal "go to" tempo loop:

Only the 2nd time I went straight down Cleveland
(instead of riding west along the river for miles 2-4).

I've only "shortened" this tempo ride by staying on Cleveland once before (last Aug), and I prefer that to the twists and turns along River Road. I felt a wind from the north-west, so I knew I'd be fast in the first part and slower in the last few miles. I hit the 35E bridge just after mile 5 with a 23.7 mph average! That was nice! Now it was all about not letting it drop.

I was at 23.0 mph overall at downtown, which is the point where my speed drops for a mile: there's a climb into the edge of downtown, and then a BIG climb up Ramsey Hill. I made the climb up the hill relatively fast: 1:15 which is decent (especially for how I was feeling at that point).

My overall average dropped from there: 21.7 at the top of the hill, 21.6 trying to get up to speed into the breeze a block later, 21.5 another mile down the road, and 21.4 at it's lowest after about another half-mile (near Hamline Ave). Then there's some speed to be had down from Snelling and really all the way to Cleveland, so I worked it back up to 21.5 mph which is where I finished.

After such a fast start, I was hoping to end with something closer to 22.0 mph. Damn.

1 and 2 are normal 5-mile splits, and then 3 and 4 are the start and finish of Ramsey.
Notice it's slower (bluer) down Summit into the NW breeze.


Speed and elevation... they seem to be connected! :)

So I finished just a little disappointed in my ride. But then looking back to my final tempo loop from 2023 showed me I was 0.2 mph faster today! That's nice! And looking back to all my fastest times doing that loop shows that I posted my 2nd fastest ever average on this ride! 21.9 mph is my PR, and then 21.4 is the next fastest. So 21.5 this week shouldn't be scoffed at! Gotta keep getting in the rides!