Big day on the bike...and then some

Saturday I was invited to ride with some competitive athletes whom I didn't know here in the Raleigh Durham area. Several were training for IM CDA and some others were IM vets and/or serious cyclists. For me it was an opportunity to just see if I could hang in during a long ride.

Prior to Saturday's group ride my longest ride was less than 60 miles. Saturday we went 92 miles. Needless to say a big jump for me! The good news is that I hung with the group for all of the ride although I didn't take the lead at all and I definitely recognized the benefit of the draft for much of the ride. The course was moderately hilly (one of the IM Wisconsin vets said it is a good simulation of the Wisconsin course) which didn't bother me. What was harder for me was when the group was hammering in the flats at 22mph+ or doing 18mph up long moderate grade hills. My real work was done in those miles.

Several of us followed the ride with a 5+ mile t-run. It was hot by that time, maybe 85 degrees, but we ran a solid sub-43min run. The run actually felt really good considering the ride that preceded it. Good hydration/nutrition management on the bike helped.

Overall a great day...great workout, great weather, great course and some new friends who have invited me back. They are getting close to taper time so I'm not sure their workouts and mine will coincide but it will be worth it to change my schedule to train with some more great, friendly triathletes from here in NC!!