I’ve started training for a 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe. It will be the furthest ride I’ve ever done. We’ve assembled a team of all together wonderful humans to do it with us. Today ten of us gathered and set out on a long ride. We split into two pace groups. I went out with the faster group knowing I’d be uncomfortable, but recognizing that I need to build fitness and this is the way to do it.

The air was cold and my toes were numb in the first mile. The wind was whipping. My ears ached and my quads screamed and my lungs burned. I felt pretty terrible, but noticed that I was grinning ever so slightly -- feeling more than a little smug in my ability to just barely keep up.

On road bikes you travel in a group and try to stay as close you can to the person in front of you. Ideally, there are only a few inches between your front tire and the rear tire of the person in front of you. When I paid attention to how much I was hurting, I’d accidentally drift back from the rider in front of me and then have to work really hard to catch up. Alternatively, when I’d tune in and try to watch not only the wheel in front of me, but also mimic the movements of the front rider, I’d find myself tucked into the pack being pulled along. 

When you ride in a tight pace line, you experience less resistance. Studies show that you can actually experience half the resistance when drafting. This is significant. It means that when you tuck in with your pack, it feels like an easier ride even though you’re going faster -- faster than you’d ever be able to ride alone.

Find your pack and tuck in.