Last Long Ride

The alarm was about to go off yesterday morning, but I nabbed it with 2 minutes to spare so Meyer wouldn't wake up. It was, after all, 4:00am.

I was out the door and on the road (driving) to Newark in the dark. With my last long ride, I needed to get a few hills in, so I'd mapped out a 34-mile loop that included some rolling hills, long steady inclines, and some flats.

I was on the bike by 6:40. What an awesome ride! While it rained lightly during the first part of the first time I did the loop, it was cool and calm. I was lucky in that the park where I'd parked the car has a porta-john, so after 34 miles I was able to have a pit stop. I reloaded my bars, gels, and bottles and headed out again. And when I finished the second loop, I did it all again.

Upon finishing the third loop - and 102 miles - I loaded up my bike...and put on my running shoes and took off for a 30-minute run. The legs were a little wobbly at first but I soon hit my stride...and the the University of Delaware campus. I had no idea it was move-in day. Cars, families, and freshman students were everywhere. What a zoo! Luckily my run was pretty short and I was able to get out of there quickly.

I'm feeling really good about this last big one. I kept a pretty constant pace - averaged 17.2 mph on all three loops and also averaged an intake of about 270 calories per hour on the bike. I still feel like I'm starting a bit too fast on the run, but that's something I'll just have to watch at the race.

And now I can say I am officially tapering!