Looking forward to the longer weekend

Last weekend I was able to get a ride in on Sunday after not feeling so good the week leading up to it.  This weekend I start in as a ride leader for a local bike shop here in Gilbert.  I talked to the owners about getting a group road ride farther south from the shop. With the holiday weekend and first week of the gathering, not sure how many riders will show up.  It's planned for a 26 mile flat course ride on Sunday.  I am still looking at two possible sprint triathlons in October to enter. One within a mile from my house and the other about a 30 minute drive away. The weather is starting to cool off a little more in the mornings, which makes early morning workouts a little nicer. We will have to really wait until the middle of October before the heat is really done for the year. 

Last Weekend's Training Rides

Saturday's route 

Sunday's Route (group ride) 

Last weekend I was stoked I was able to get in two solid rides.  The first one on Saturday I brought out the mountain bike on the streets.  I took it not knowing if I would come across a trail I might want to explore.  I stayed on the street however. Consumed an Amrita apricot strawberry energy bar to get my nutrition started.  I packed in my jersey pocket another one of those along with two CarbBOOM gel packs if I needed them. The morning was overcast which help keep the summer temperature down. I felt really strong and brought enough hydration.  I wanted to mainly get out and ride a good 12 to 15 miles, depending upon how I felt, knowing that I planned on riding Sunday with a local group ride. 

Sunday’s ride was with a new group I found online.  They were having a recovery ride / beginners ride, so the average speed would be around 15MPH for the 26 mile course they had planned. There were about 20 riders that showed up for the ride that began just as the sun was rising. I jumped out near the front of the ride and hung there until a water break around the 10 mile mark.  The second part of the ride, I jumped out in front and lead a small group that went above the rides projected average speed.  I felt very strong through out the whole ride.  I might try this ride again next week and try to stay back with the rest of the pack. I mainly was doing the ride really for adding mileage, not really trying to add speed. 

Everything fell into place from the preparation of my nutrition to the cool down and recovery when I got home.  A lot of my home workouts are paying off with just how good I have been feeling before and after a workout.