TDC + Flying Wheels

Today was long ride day and it was my longest ride of 2008--woo-hoo! Ann S. asked me for the Tour de Cure routes the other day for her ride and despite a very loosely organized "If I see you, I see you" non-plan, we both ended up getting out to Marymoor to start our rides at the same time. We did about 22 miles together and then I peeled off to add miles and she stayed on the TDC route to go back to Redmond and hop in the pool at Golds Gym (not a workout plan I envied, I must say). I realized that it has been at least 5 months since I biked with anyone and it's kind of fun to chat! I'm not sure Ann will say the same as I pretty much complained about being cold for at least the first 10 miles...it was quite brisk there at the beginning. Fortunately for her, she missed the last 10 miles when I was, of course, too hot (welcome to spring in Seattle where bike clothing is an inexact science).

Anyway, we started on the TDC 45 mile route and then I went north up to Snohomish (where some kind of parade had taken place and there were pirates and Easter candy on the street) when Ann went down High Bridge. I made up a hybrid route of Tour de Cure and Flying Wheels with a little extra out-and-back on Lowell Larimer. I wasn't sure how the mileage would shake down exactly, so the Lowell-Larimer thing ended up being extra credit, but I was pretty accurate in my route creation...I was shooting for 50-60 and ended up with 66 miles. I did not push super hard...took leisurely breaks at 18 and 42 miles...and it was a good ride and a very welcomed sunny day. I had a 5 mile stretch (45-50ish) where I totally felt like crap (I think my legs were thinking, ""We know that Ann is done after this many miles, why are we still pedalling??"), but then I felt OK (not great, but OK) again until the end. I was definitely smelling the barn at the end (or maybe the contents of the frig in the barn...), but wasn't totally limping home like I do on some rides. Chugged a recovery V8 back at the park and drove home where I will happily be laying on the floor with the TV remote for several hours to finish out my Saturday. Good training week...I'm whipped. 10 weeks from today is HoNu.

66 mile bike ride:
4:17
Avg pace: 15.3 mph
Avg HR = 116bpm