Today was a great day to be an average cyclist.
Though it looked a bit leery at times, the rainy weather let up around 6 and allowed just enough heat and sunshine through to accommodate a nice 19-mile ride down Hines with the hubs and the sister-in-law.
Riding with those two really pushed my limits. Kim (the SIL) is a quick rider, and Kev has some meaty ham hock legs that can power through pretty much anything. We ran into quite the headwind in the first 10 miles, so needless to say I struggled to keep up with them.
However, on the ride back, the winds subsided and I found myself maintaining an even 17-18 mph. We also managed to run/ride into my work friend Tom, a serious dude who has completed at least a few Ironmans in his life. Point: he's crazy fast. He did give me a few pointers on my pedaling though and even managed to get me to draft behind Kim for a while.
I must say that while I'm getting better at riding, I'm still a bit timid on the old Trek. Drafting is lovely and not nearly as scary as I once thought, but still makes my heart race a tad. I must also work on getting my ass out of the saddle to scoot quickly through hills and headwinds.
Tomorrow will bring a much needed day of rest. This work week has been long, arduous, and uncomfortable (as we have been amid budget cut messes for a while now), and my legs are beat from riding and running this week. I'm looking forward to a Date Night with the hubs and Chris and Liz, and hopefully we'll find Chris a new bike so he'll be all suited up for Zoo-de-Mac in a few weeks.
Today's Point Two: Drink your fruit. I've been addicted to smoothies lately, and I simply can't get enough of a particular recipe:Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie. It's super filling, full of delicious nutrition, and makes for a great, non-bloaty way to kick off the day or power up for a workout.