Sunday, April 13, 2008

90K

What a perfect day for a ride! Couldn't ask for nicer, well, except for a constant tail wind. The IGP™ called for 90 to 105 6.5/3.5. Well, I'm sorry IG, but with such a nice day that went out the window. I hope you like what I did instead. Here's the numbers:
90K along the Chinook half course. My turn around was just past the turnoff to Bragg Creek.
3:45 total elapsed time, with first 45 K being 2:06 or so. I had to pee too badly to look at my watch.
24 Kph, Average Speed
78 Kph, Max speed
76 rpm, Average cadence
124 bpm, Average heartrate
146 bpm, Peak heartrate
3531 total calories

After a brief adventure involving house keys I won't go into here, I did a very short, very slow, semi-run. Normally I could walk faster. It was only about 8 minutes, but I figured after the ride my legs had every reason to not want to run.

My thought for the ride was to simply do it, without pushing too hard and no time goals in mind. I wanted to see the Chinook course hills first hand. For whatever reason I wasn't quite up for the The Road to Nepal. Some of them aren't as bad as I thought they'd be, but the last one up on the way out was brutal. It goes on forever, and the wind was right there the whole time. The wind on the way out overall was pretty strong. Coming back, of course it was very nice. Estela was a total champ, coping well with some gravel and a bit of cross wind sometimes.

In prep I'd had a good breakfast of granola with yogurt, nuts, and a banana. I was sure to hydrate while waiting for it to get nice, and getting Estela ready to go. I'd made up an energy drink the night before. Finished the last water bottle just as I got back to the house. After the run I had a banana with peanut butter and nutella, some oatmeal cookies and milk. A little later a small portion of roast pork with corn. Yum!

I got passed twice, and rode along for a while with another guy. On the way back I zoomed past a couple out of their first ride. He was dressed for it and had a nice bike, she was on a hybrid. Still, Estela and I felt very zoomy as we passed them. That's great for the ego, especially in the last hour of the ride. I was beginning to feel tired at the 3 hour mark, but hands and butt felt pretty good.

My legs feel pretty good now. I've done a bit of stretching, and I'll do a bit more. I'm planning to go for a gentle walk with my wife after supper settles down. The muscles at the base of my neck are what are actually the sorest, what with having to crank my head back to see where I'm going. I forgot my glasses lanyard, so they kept sliding down that crucial few mm. The test of how I feel will be for the swim tomorrow.

I am totally pumped about Chinook! I know I can do the swim, and now I know I can do the bike. What's more, I know that I could do the swim, then get on the bike for 90 K. Now comes what I knew all along would be the hard part, the 21 K run. IG has navigated me this far, and I have total confidence he will have me ready to go when the day comes.

Weekly totals
Swim 1.5 hr
Bike 6.35 hr
Run 2.0 hr
Total 9.85

5 comments:

  1. 90K!! Way to GO!! That is AWESOME!

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  2. great job keith - you'll do great at chinook!

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  3. Keith -- the shark has morphed into a biking animal!! Great job!!!! That is wonderful that you just went out and saw what Estela had in her (and you too of course).

    The biggest challenge is always mental and you have conquered the mental aspect of the swim and the bike. The run is going to be no problem, Keith -- you are going great guns!!! I am so proud of you!!! :) :) :)

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  4. Great job K!! I am just like you in that I want to do the distance before the race so I know I can do the distance and so that I know what it feels like, when it hurts, and that I CAN get through it!! Well done!!

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  5. Hey, ya, you never know if we were going in opposite directions! Plenty of riders out, that's for sure! One of these days I am going to try the "road to Nepal" or the other variation you posted that is 70K.

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