Day 69: Too Much of a Good Thing?

So I've been trying to make up for lost training time on my weekend bike rides, knowing what awaits me at LiveStrong next week (45 miles of HILLS!). Today was no exception. I wanted to increase my endurance a little through a longer-distance ride. To wit, I planned to go 50 miles on the W&OD trail, which is a very long, relatively flat, paved trail that runs through the Washington, DC, suburbs in Northern Virginia. Most of the trail is in a corridor of trees, bushes, and other foliage that cuts through the middle of residential and a few commerical areas. The great thing about this trail is that you can really build up some speed and push that endurance by going a long distance w/o stopping or even slowing down to cross a rode.

I rode 54 miles in 5 hours, 25 minutes, including three breaks. I felt hungry but otherwise great when I hit my turn-around point (which was also my first break), but coming back was rough. Really rough. Oh man, I thought my legs were going to fall off!

The weather was perfect for cycling: overcast all morning without a drop of rain, cool temps, and a low breeze. Ahhhh.....

I spent most of the return trip "spinning," which is what you do when your legs are tired. You put the bike into a lower gear so that your legs don't have to work so hard every time they go around. This works your heart more and gives your legs a break. Essentially my legs were SCREAMING at me for most of the ride back. Poor legs. They performed admirably.

If I had been training more on the bike this summer, 54 miles would have been a challenge but not a big deal. I did multiple 50-mile rides last summer without trouble. I think today's ride was simply a little too ambitious at this stage of my training.

The good news is, my heart didn't get tired, which I must attribute to all the working out I've done with Leandro this summer. My thighs still aren't toned (I know, I checked after the ride) but my heart is strong thanks to Leandro's relentless coaching. As Leandro constantly admonishes: "Give it all, don't settle for less!"

I love that I can go such distances on just the power of my own two legs. The human body is truly an amazing thing.