The Test Drive

I ended up taking yesterday off. I figured that was my free pass at a day off and I should cash in on it. I think it ended up being the right decision. My legs were still pretty tired yesterday after the half-marathon and they feel back to normal today. I was supposed to get up early this morning and go for a test drive on my bike.

However, I just couldn't do it. Drew often leaves for the gym and says, "Don't forget to wake up!" It's not that I forget exactly, it's usually that once it gets later in the morning, I don't see the point of getting up since I then won't be able to squeeze in the workout that I want to do. The truth is that I love to press snooze and I do it really well. It's my #1 talent. I'm going to have to put my alarm on the other side of the room, I think, so that I can ensure I am ready for Alcatraz!

Since I didn't get up this morning, I hurried home after work in order to sneak a bike ride in before the sun went down. I wasn't sure if I should ride in the Park or the Westside Bike Path, but I figured that I should get in every single hill that I can, so I opted for the Park. The weather was about 58 degrees when I left the apartment. I had no idea what to wear, but I guessed and wore tights, tri shorts, and two long-sleeved shirts. It ended up being just about perfect! I'm guessing that I could have worn less, but it was pretty windy out there and I was never hot.

The biking was fairly uneventful, which seems like a fantastic thing to report! My biggest accomplishment was the fact that both times I went up the Harlem Hill I stayed in the middle ring instead of switching to my granny gear. That seems like a good indication that I haven't lost too much bike fitness over the past few months. The other thing that seemed like a good indicator is that it pretty much took me the exact same amount of time that it was taking last fall to get around the loop. I wonder if all that running kept my legs strong?

Pretty much the only thing that wasn't perfect was that even though my legs felt fine, my rear end was another story. I think it'll only take a little while to get used to sitting in the saddle again, but I have to say that today wasn't 100% comfortable, which I definitely expected. Maybe I should have worn my bike shorts instead of tri shorts. Except that I like to keep my bike shorts for those horrid bikes at the gym and I think I'll just wear tri shorts to get myself used to it. I'll be spending a lot of time in the saddle from now on, so I might have to invest in another pair of shorts!

Biking
Total Time: 1:06:23
Total Distance: 13.53 miles
Total Pace: 12.23 MPH (average)

Park Biking Time: 50:00
Park Biking Distance: 12.10 miles
Park Biking Pace: 14.52 MPH (average)

Calories: 493
Maximum HR: 171
Average HR: 154
Maximum Speed: 22.5