Outdoor ride #3

I've been anxiously awaiting the outdoor riding, especially since I'm doing cda this year. We've had some nice weather lately so I have been getting outdoors. I watch the weather and try to predict the good riding days, yes even in Calgary where the forecast is seldom very accurate. Hey, we live at 3500 ft or somthing it's to be expected.

Anyways yesterday's prediction was a balmy 19 degrees and partly sunny!! So I went in to work early so I could get out early and hit the road. Chuckie also knows the importance of getting in these early springtime rides so he gave me a med. length ride. Through out the day I kept watching the temp and looking outside, yes my mind was clearly not at work. Already thinking about the ride, lol. Hmmmm the temp wasn't going up, and where is that damn'd sun?!?! Oh well it finally got into the double digits and there was no wind to be seen so it was warm enough.

I headed out to Strathmore, this is one of my favorite routes. I know every hill, well rollers as there are no huge hills if you go east from Calgary only rolling landscape. The rush hour traffic hadn't hit it's full swing yet so it wasn't too bad getting out of the city. Once I'd reached the 20min mark and outside the city limits I started today(yesterday's) hard session. 90minutes hard, my directions were to stay at 135bpm preferrably 145. So I hit 135 fairly easily and kept working it to eventually move over the 140 mark. Good stuff, it seemed like a effort that I could sustain. There wasn't too much wind and even though the sun wasn't out the temp wasn't too bad. I had tights on, but no jacket, just a long sleeve shirt and a jersey over top, with gloves too. I rode through Langdon on my way to Strathmore and got to the turn around(Strathmore) in a record time. Now to turn home and into the wind for 20 more minutes out of the 90. I actually saw 145bpm a bunch of times and kept it 140-145 most of the ride. Didn't ride all out, but it was pretty close. After the hard part I still had about an hour to ride, the legs were getting grumpy, but I just cruised with the heart rate now down near 120.

After the ride I had a 20min transition run and I'm done. Starting out the legs are always heavy, but finishing up I felt like I could have done an hour or so. Well ok the legs were pretty cooked, lol. But I love that feeling. More hard work in the tank, OUTDOOR work. :) I'm sure we'll get more snow, but every ride I can manage outdoors is extremely helpful. The ride showed me I'm already at last summer's fitness, maybe even faster so that's a good sign. My run and definately the swim are stronger too. Till next time,

DP