We can't resist

One of my goals for setting up this blog was to keep our families in the loop about what’s going on in our lives once we start IM training. And I was hoping that we’d get in the habit of blogging on a regular basis before we start buckling down and taking training seriously. We both did IM Florida in 2006 and for the months leading up the race we hardly ever saw non-triathlon friends in DC, let alone our out of town families.

Chad and I had a tough swim on Monday night and this morning we got up early for our regular Tues/Thurs bike ride at Hains Point. This morning the air was a tad cool and crisp, and although there didn’t seem to be much wind on the Hill, by the time we got to HP there was a breeze blowing across the point. Our warm up quickly transitioned to a short sprint and we were off. What a great way for us both to blow off a little steam.

As usual our competitive instincts took over and we ended up having a great workout. The first loop we raced the back side of the short loop, recovered the long loop, then sprinted gate to gate on the second loop. My heart rate got up to 162 and I sustained speeds of 24-25 mph. That’s fast for me. Chad eventually pulled away, but I stayed with him for most of the loop. The last long loop we tried the same thing and I let Chad slip away and then I just didn’t have the strength or motivation. I sustained 23 mph, but my heart rate didn’t really get over 153 bpm. We rode about 25 miles total and went our separate ways; he home, me to work. Morning rides are fun in large part because it is a who’s who of the local triathlon community. We get a chance to say some quick hellos, informally race our peers, and talk about what’s coming up.