The biggest challenge is getting back into the training grove. I got back and there was just so much work to do. My first meeting was at 7 am and I had conference calls or appoints set all day. I'm away tomorrow until Friday and my plan was to try and do a min 4 hour long bike ride today.
This afternoon one of my appointments was with my doctor. I had to get a form signed saying I'm fit enough to attended the Boy Scouts of America national jamboree. I was looking forward to the visit because I wanted to ask him if I could get some other tests done.
I really feel my body is fit but not necessarily healthy. I asked him if he could test my cortisol levels, my thyroid and my testosterone. I also mentioned my hip and pelvis soreness and asked for an x-ray on my hip. He set up the tests but didn't think the cortisone would be of any value as he can't do anything. But to me it is, it would help explain a lot and I told the doctor my coach, an Ironman legend said I should get one, so I want one.
Actually the next 4-5 weeks is going to be a major challenge. I'm travelling most every week with only one or two days home. In that time I have to do a long bike ride and it's tough because there is usually a lot of work stuff I usually have to follow up on.
Today at 3:30 pm I decided I had to push myself out the door to train. I really didn't want to, I was a little concerned how much fitness I had lost. Yet I was also interested to see if the rest helped my strength.
It was a weird ride fitness wise, my legs felt strong but my first 30 km average speed was in the 26 kph. I was bummed. But I just kept riding. Mentally I felt great. The week off takes any training burnout off the table. My legs didn't look as strong as they did 5 days ago. They were starting to look like my legs of old. I knew it's going to take me 5 days of good eating to offset those 5 days of holiday eating and drinking. The eating must have been bad, I had heartburn on my ride, burping up that heart burn feeling. Definitely too much acid in the diet. Also had a lot of salt burning my eyes. No wonder I felt bloated, I was.
The weather was warm and humid and at one point even though I was scheduled to try and fit in a 4 hour ride I decided to go for 5 hours plus and possibly do a century ride. What I didn't anticipate was the rain. It started coming down and pouring. I was the worst I've ever ridden in but actually didn't mind the change of pace. It was warm rain, at first soft and the only concern I had was that my iPhone wasn't going to get damaged from the rain. I didn't anticipate the rain and didn't bring a plastic sandwich bag to put it in.
As the ride went on I got stronger. My legs even seemed to transform back to legs of 7 days ago. During most all of the ride my legs started to feel like my legs of old when I was in my best Kona shape. What I mean by that is I can ride effortlessly, I don't even realize or feel any stress on my legs.
It's like someone sitting and watching TV, you don't focus or feel your legs, you just focus on what your watching. Same thing on the bike when you are in shape. I so much got caught up into thoughts this ride that I didn't even realize were I was or if I had crossed a major road and if I did, I don't recall looking for traffic.
At times at the end the rain was bad. I had to take my glasses off for fogging. Then I'd go downhill and I couldn't see anything because my glasses are prescription and without them I'm blind. As I was riding downhill I was getting hard rain in my eyes and it hurt, and I couldn't see if there was any pot holes or problem areas on the road. To top it off my brakes were so wet as I was going downhill they hardly worked. Add all three of those issues and it was at times a scary and dangerous ride.
I stopped at my regular store stop for more liquids and a bran muffin. My biggest challenge to keep going, I was burning sunlight. Even though I have a flashing red safety light on the back of my jersey I don't have one on the front and as it gets dark the oncoming traffic doesn't see me. Also as it gets dark it becomes even more dangerous with wild life critters coming out of the woods and onto the road. Things like raccoons and skunks can be dangerous if you hit them. I actually had a deer run in front of me once.
All and all I made it back and end up doing 102 mile ride. There was hills at the end I was flying up. On the first lap of one hill I averaged 19 kph, on the second lap, near the end of my ride I was going up it at 23-25 kph and it was effortless. It just felt like old time riding, like I time travelled back 3 years.
Family wise Alyssa got stranded in downtown Toronto. The rain was so back it flooded Toronto and shut down the airport. Good thing she was working late or she would have got stuck on the go train. Some people are on the trains now, the trains are stopped on the tracks and there is water all around them. Some people are breaking windows and jumping for it and trying to swim to safety. It's a major deal. Alice found Alyssa a hotel and she's staying their tonight. Of course it wasn't a cheap hotel, I wasn't hear to book it. Upside is she's safe and sound.
Nice to get that first session after vacation off my back. Also great confidence builder to blast out 102 miles and it was fairly effortlessly.
Long bike 163 km / 5:40:48 / 28.7 kph avg
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