Sunday, April 17, 2011

Crabbing


One of the interesting things about today's ride was that the prevailing winds were from the south and our ride was mostly east-west; therefore the wind was always port or starboard. As a pilot, I understand the need to crab into the wind but it's a technique I never imagined having to employ while riding a bike. We've yet to have a ride this season with winds less than 12 mph; today's were topping out at 23.

Nonetheless, it was a fun one. We rode one of our race courses for pace; it's fun to compare the experience and stats now to when we first started riding the course. I also try to stay ahead of my husband who gives me a little head start. Today he didn't catch me until the last mile (which was a little victory over past rides) and then pushed me to sprint even harder up the final hill.

One of the things I love most about triathlon is that it's a passion my husband and I share. Post-ride we hover over the computer and review our training stats, or kick back with a protein shake (or a beer) and trade anecdotes from the day's ride, the way fantasy football-leaguers compare their player's stats and fisherman tell stories about the "one that got away."

My anecdotes today were two:

1) There was one moment when I nearly had to chose between car and carcass. Along a narrow section of road with a non-shoulder, I encountered a large dead bird (think hawk) that was smack in the middle of the tiny shoulder--metal guardrail a few inches to the right, and solid white line marking the traffic lane a few inches to the left. As I approached the bird, a truck approached from behind and passed just as I was coming up on the road kill--his bumper clearing the bird just as my front tire would have struck it, giving me the smallest window in which to swerve around it instead of over it. Whew.

2) My stealthy riding caused me to (inadvertently) startle a little dog who was wearing a fluffy, little pink sweater and was out for a walk with it's owner who was wearing a big, fluffy parka. It was good for a giggle. (What can I say, entertainment is somewhat limited out there.)

Matt had his own interesting story to share in which a guy driving a truck pulled up to a stop sign and yelled obscenities at him. Unfortunately, this is not the first or only time we've encountered crazy drivers and probably won't be the last, but thankfully these occurrences are rare. Between the wildlife and the wild motorists, it can be a jungle out there!

Today's workout/fun stats:
Ride: 25 miles
Calories burned: 1344
Max speed: 38 mph

Followed by a short brick/Vibram form run:
Run: 1 mile
Calories burned: 127

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