one of the first rides i ever went on was mid-september last year... i was sort of late to the tri-party, what can i say... and 0% was kind enough to ride with me.
in our little group, whenever someone new wants to test out their feelings on "the bike" we head down to the downtown airport. it's this maybe 4 mile loop that's completely away from traffic and stoplights.. its almost like its own little island.
so, there i was. it was a tuesday night and i was on, like i said, maybe my 2nd or 3rd week of "serious riding".
(serious riding to be translated into... i got on my bike about once a week for more than 2 weeks in a row. it was a big deal back then.
*ahem*
still is.)
i was nervous about riding with people and for the most part sort of liked to go at it on my own. but 0%'s a chatty chick, so i thought sweet. she'll talk. i'll ride. it'll be good, i can just concentrate on keeping up!
as we started the ride i mentioned being a little hesitant to ride with her, and she said something along the lines of "don't worry. i'm not interested in going hard, i'll just cruise with you"... although i seriously doubt she used those exact words.
anyway... all i remember, is that i was almost dying. here she was, next to me, chit-chatting away, as though hardly working, if at all, and i'm busting ASS to try and keep up. at one point i looked down and we were going...
now brace yourself. because this number will surprise you..
we were going fourteen miles per hour!!!
i remember distinctly saying to myself shit. i hope she just leaves. i can't do this. there is no way i can make it around this loop at this speed. i'm GOING. to DIE.
yeah. 14mph around a 4 mile loop. i = rule!
anyway, i bring this up because last night, after declaring that i was DUNZO!!! with riding 20 minutes into our ride (clearly, i am a force to be reckoned with on the bike. WATCH out!), 0% and i turned around to head home. as we passed one particularly nice section of the ride i pulled up next to her and we talked a bit about.. just whatever.. and i happened to look down at my bike computer, and started to laugh.
our easy ride, no big deal, conversational pace, that i was actually capable of keeping up... was just over 19.
for you long time riders out there.. that ain't nuthin. especially considering that wasn't exactly my AVERAGE for the ride... sure. its not all that much to write home about....
but in that moment last night, as i rode past my old running trails, waved to the constant riders passing by, and enjoyed a short, yet much needed ride, i had a wave of contentment sweep over me. and it was kinda nice.
afterwards i parked my bike in the 0% garage, donned some running shoes, and hit the pavement for this seasons VERY FIRST BRICK! (yeahhhh.. slap me the next time i wonder why my run is so slow in triathlon!)
i was actually expecting a much more horrible experience than i had. 0% had given me a little route to run, i had to go for :40 minutes, and... that was it. i just ran.
(and.... i kinda walked a bit too. not gunna lie.)
when i returned from my run and stopped my watch, i'd made it 37:23 minutes and counted that as DONE.
this morning i mapped out my route on gmap-pedometer and i apparently covered just over 3.5 miles and ran at a 10:40 pace!!
i have no idea how that happened. but i will TAKE IT!
i'm not too sure about this whole running and biking... AND crossfit thing, during the week...
but so far so good. and at least for today.. i'm a happy camper.
