Something strange and wonderful has happened. Suddenly I can't wait for my next long bike ride! I know...I am as shocked as you! On Friday I did a 36 mile ride on the same bike path as the week before. It was 3 pm on a weekday (and about 102 degrees) so there was virtually no one out there. It felt almost like a private bike path. Although I know it is probably not the most effective route for training because of all the turns and other people on the path, I love that it is 36 miles completely away from traffic. From the moment I get on my bike to the moment I get off I never ride on a road with cars. This makes it possible to relax and enjoy the ride from the very first pedal stroke, rather than have to suffer through traffic for the first 7-12 miles before I can relax and really focus.
I also discovered on my last ride that the path is not as much of a speed limiter as I thought. It turns out that the major speed limiter is, in fact, ME. I was riding along the other day, just really enjoying myself, and I looked down at my speedometer and saw that I was going 13.8 miles an hour! Oops! Talk about a leisurely ride. That speed won't even get me through the Ironman bike portion under the cutoff time! I wondered why I was such a slow rider; then suddenly I thought: well, I'm not actually putting any effort into it at all! Sure I was moving, but I wasn't really trying. So I decided to actually pedal harder. And Voila! Suddenly I was going faster! So for the second half of the ride I made sure not to let my speed drop below 15 mph (except for turns and street crossings of course).
I think my excitement for my next ride comes from a) a truly enjoyable bike path away from traffic and b) the realization that I can and should be working harder, and now I want to see what I can really do.
I also noticed a whole new level of comfort and handling on the bike. Surely it is from repeated long rides, but I also think the fear and anxiety from my crash is finally starting to subside. I assume that is how it is with most crashes: afterwards there is a lot of fear, but as you log more miles without incident the fear is no longer in the forefront of your mind.
One of the great things about this bike path is that it is only a few miles from work, so I just put my bike in my car and go straight from work. Unfortunately, I know my days of long rides after work are numbered, as it is already well over 100 degrees these days, and a 40-50 mile ride in the beating sun at the hottest part of the day in these temps is not very smart. I have done my work commute in the middle of 115 degree days plenty of times, but that is only 11 miles; a whole different story. When I am riding the temperature feels fine because I make my own breeze, but as soon as I stop moving it is like I stepped into an oven! Also there is the simple equation of an 8 hour work shift loading bags and cargo in 110+ degrees followed immediately by a 40+ mile ride in the same hot temperature. By the end of my ride I feel so disgusting! By that point it is the culmination of over 11 hours of physical activity combined with sweat, dirt and multiple applications of sunscreen on top of the sweat and dirt.
As the days continue to get hotter I will have to adjust my routine accordingly. As for now though...I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY NEXT RIDE!!!
I also discovered on my last ride that the path is not as much of a speed limiter as I thought. It turns out that the major speed limiter is, in fact, ME. I was riding along the other day, just really enjoying myself, and I looked down at my speedometer and saw that I was going 13.8 miles an hour! Oops! Talk about a leisurely ride. That speed won't even get me through the Ironman bike portion under the cutoff time! I wondered why I was such a slow rider; then suddenly I thought: well, I'm not actually putting any effort into it at all! Sure I was moving, but I wasn't really trying. So I decided to actually pedal harder. And Voila! Suddenly I was going faster! So for the second half of the ride I made sure not to let my speed drop below 15 mph (except for turns and street crossings of course).
I think my excitement for my next ride comes from a) a truly enjoyable bike path away from traffic and b) the realization that I can and should be working harder, and now I want to see what I can really do.
I also noticed a whole new level of comfort and handling on the bike. Surely it is from repeated long rides, but I also think the fear and anxiety from my crash is finally starting to subside. I assume that is how it is with most crashes: afterwards there is a lot of fear, but as you log more miles without incident the fear is no longer in the forefront of your mind.
One of the great things about this bike path is that it is only a few miles from work, so I just put my bike in my car and go straight from work. Unfortunately, I know my days of long rides after work are numbered, as it is already well over 100 degrees these days, and a 40-50 mile ride in the beating sun at the hottest part of the day in these temps is not very smart. I have done my work commute in the middle of 115 degree days plenty of times, but that is only 11 miles; a whole different story. When I am riding the temperature feels fine because I make my own breeze, but as soon as I stop moving it is like I stepped into an oven! Also there is the simple equation of an 8 hour work shift loading bags and cargo in 110+ degrees followed immediately by a 40+ mile ride in the same hot temperature. By the end of my ride I feel so disgusting! By that point it is the culmination of over 11 hours of physical activity combined with sweat, dirt and multiple applications of sunscreen on top of the sweat and dirt.
As the days continue to get hotter I will have to adjust my routine accordingly. As for now though...I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY NEXT RIDE!!!
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