A Run Then A Ride

The Jingle Bell Run went okay. I lost track of my colleagues who were a part of my group. In fact, I only saw two of the six of us before the start of the run. I ran alone for the first two miles, at which time I decided to walk for a bit. One member of the group caught up to me then and we finished the race together. I crossed the line at 33:30, which is one minute 14 seconds faster than last year's run but four minutes slower than my PR. I expected a slower time today. I just haven't run that much since August.

After the run, I took the bike out for a ride. My whole mindset while riding is so different from when I'm running, though I will say my mindset today while running was actually pretty good. I wasn't there for competition. I was there to run for a good cause, get some exercise in, and just enjoy the weather. But when I'm on the bike, I can push it and love every second of it. If the wind is blowing 20 mph, I don't mind a bit. If the course has two mile hills, bring them on. I'll go at it with everything I have. Today the wind is blowing as it has been for about a month now. Sustained 20 mph with gusts up to 30. I started the ride into the wind, averaging about 12 mph. Then I reached my turn point, which put the wind mostly at my back. I got going pretty good on this stretch, and then I turned again, putting the wind coming against my right side. I managed to keep the speed up for this stretch. When I finished, I checked my average overall speed: 16. Not bad for having the wind in my face for half of the ride.

Now I'm feeling that delicious fatigue that comes after a good workout. I can definitely tell I haven't worked out like this for awhile, and it'd probably be a good idea for me to get back into the swing of working out a bit harder if I'm going to maintain some kind of decent fitness level. I'm thinking ahead, too, to the Bike the US for MS ride. I need to find some kind of workout regimen that will help me get ready for the daily long rides. Being able to do 60+ miles a day is a must, and right now, with work and limited daylight hours making long rides nearly impossible, I don't know quite what to do to get ready. Maybe it's going to come down to just riding two hours a day on the trainer in the garage. How boring does that sound?

Today was good. I like that. A lot.

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