Half-Century Today

Well not quite, it was just under 46 miles, but close enough for me to claim it.  3.5 hours (including stops) and I averaged 13.8mph.

 

My friend John asked me to do the Seattle loop with him this weekend.  Having only previously ridden a max of 30 miles at one time I was a bit apprehensive about it, but agreed anyways.

 

Couple of things I did differently this time….1) I got a Camelbak Rogue hydration system.  This made a huge difference on the ride.  Having a sip available without having to reach down for the bottle is key to drinking more.  Even though I had been taking two water bottles on my previous rides, I just wasn’t reaching down and drinking it as often as I should’ve.  With the Camelbak it was super easy to sip and keep pace.

 

I also added Gatorade for the ride. 32oz Gatorade and 38oz of water.  The last couple of rides I could taste the salt caked on my face and I’m afraid I’m losing too much during the ride to stay productive. 

 

The last big change for this ride was to add a big brunch 3 hours before the ride and some snacks (pretzels with peanut butter) 30 mins before we left.  Between the carbs from brunch and the constant snacking during the ride (I downed ¼ of a Clif Bar every 30 mins) I never felt any real drop in energy.  I actually had to slow down for the last half of the ride as John was having a hard time keeping up.  I felt like I could’ve gone another 45 miles pretty easily, but that may be wishful thinking right now.

 

One more ringing endorsement for the One Seat saddle. As advertised my butt was not sore.  This is an amazing product.  I think I have John convinced at its usefulness as he wants to get one.

 

Tomorrow is Monday.  I’m debating whether to do the 6am Indoor Cycling class or not.  Part of me is saying “Yes”, but I’m afraid the 5am wake-up version of me is going to say “Hell-No.”