Summer Friday

I had a very heavy training day planned. I was going to swim in the morning and do a longer brick to be sure I'm ready for the race distance. I was already questioning the feasibility of the swim last night as my shoulder continued to hurt. I iced it and took ibuprofen, but it was really achy. I didn't sleep well in general and the shoulder only made it worse. When I woke up, I knew I needed to rest it for another day so I skipped the swim.

I got off to a later start than planned for the brick. My lazy nature kicked in full force and it was a struggle to motivate myself out the door. I wanted to ride around 20 miles, but really didn't want to go to Central Park again. It would be my third trip this week. So I decided to ride as far north on the Hudson as possible and loop back a couple times if needed to make the miles. I set up my transition area just inside the door and finally headed out. It was a beautiful day, picture-perfect really.

I rode as far north as the river path would allow, to 129th Street, and then headed back south. I had ridden just over 18 miles when I reached my planned stopping point so I figured it was close enough. My transition is never as fast as I'd like since I have to wait for the freight elevator. My doorman and neighbors must think I'm insane when I come running in with my bike and then run back out without it like there's a fire or something. It was pretty hot and sunny by the time I hit the street so I settled on running 4 miles. I'm always pleasantly surprised by how well I am able to run off the bike. I definitely have the lead legs feeling everyone talks about, but I don't find it too uncomfortable to push through. My first 1.5 miles were pretty quick, then the next .5 was a bit slower. I found a stretch of shade to get some relief from the sun and was able to run the last .5 under an 8-minute pace.

After I finished, I relaxed in the park for a bit and made some phone calls. I was in the shade as much as possible and couldn't believe how many people were spread out in the grass in full sun baking themselves. I guess they missed Skin Cancer Awareness Month back in May.

I dropped by my local bar to say hi to friends and eat something so I could survive until dinner. The best part of being a regular somewhere is that you can stroll in at any time in any condition and feel at home. I sat at the bar in my all my spandex glory and enjoyed the company of a few friends having an early summer Friday. You all know I've given up beer until the NYC Tri next Sunday except for a few special times where I've made an exception. I wasn't planning for it, but today became one of those exceptions. As my friend Louise, one of the bartenders, said, "are you going to sit there dressed like that and drink a glass of wine?" Absolutely not. It was a moment that demanded a beer. So I had just one, a Victory Saison, the perfect end to a perfect day.

Biking
Distance - 18.32 miles
Time - 1:09:09

Running
Distance - 4 miles
Time - 33:18