Bike Rides for an Upcoming Duathlon!

>> Tuesday, April 21, 2009

There are FIVE OF US heading to the first local duathlon this weekend. Steph, Borsch, Matt, Pharmie, and I are doing the Winter BeGone Duathlon down by Rochester MN on Sunday. I’ve been TRYING to hit the bike a few more times since IM NOLA 70.3 to get ready.

On Friday, I did a hilly course. It was a 22.8 mile ride that had a decent amount of hills, and it took me all over St. Paul, along the Mighty Mississippi, and into the ‘burbs:





Sunday was the hilly MDRA Mudball run, which was a good 4 mile ass-burner. (See post below.)

Tonight (Tuesday), I went for a fast, hard ride on a pretty flat course. But it was pretty windy. I went out down the Greenway Trail and back for a total of 21.68 miles:


Yeah, like you can read THAT. Sorry.



Oh, I forget to mention, Pharmie and I don’t have our bikes back from IM NOLA 70.3 two-and-a-half weeks ago! They said we’d have them back in just over a week. Well, Pharmie had to get on the phone with them last week and BEG them to ship them NOW so we can have them for our race this next weekend!! (3 weeks after the race!)

So, all that being said, I rode those last 2 rides on Big Rhonda, not Goldilocks. These past 2 rides may be my last 2 on Big Rhonda because we’ve found a buyer! So I snapped a photo to remember her by:



The computer’s been cutting in-and-out on Big Rhonda, so I knew I couldn’t trust it on these rides. It was completely dead for my ride tonight. So I took a few splits at major landmarks and compared them with the map above.

@ 6.2 miles: 18.42 mph ave overall
@ 10.84 miles (turn-around): 18.45 mph
@ 15.48 miles: 18.97 mph overall
@ 21.68 miles (finish): 19.38 mph

Good. Well, not bad.

Tomorrow, I have 13 hour day of work, so there's no workout. Thursday, I'll go for a hard 6-8 mile run. Friday, I'll swim a bit. Then it's easy sailing until the race on Sunday! We'll see what happens this weekend at Winter BeGone!!

18 comments:

Kate 9:15 PM, April 21, 2009  

So long Big Rhonda. Hope you heart your new home.

Maria 9:24 PM, April 21, 2009  

I hope you screened your applicants for Rhonda, you don't want her going to a broken home that rides cheap Huffy bikes!
Hope you get your bikes back soon!

RoadBunner 9:30 PM, April 21, 2009  

Hope you two get your bike back soon. That would totally stress me out!

X-Country2 9:50 PM, April 21, 2009  

I really want to get a bike this summer. Hopefully I can find my own Big Ronda around here.

Shannon 5:37 AM, April 22, 2009  

Good Luck with Big Rhonda this weekend!

Missy 6:01 AM, April 22, 2009  

I'm sorry you and Rhonda have to break up. It is time, it is time:) I'm not sentimental but I DO get attached to bikes...so many hours, so many miles.

Jess 7:29 AM, April 22, 2009  

Nice job on all the rides!

The Boring Runner 7:53 AM, April 22, 2009  

Did you sell Big R on Craigs? I'm looking to finally take the biking plunge and was wondering if that was a good place to look.

Of course, step 1 is to figure out what size of bike I need :)

GoBigGreen 8:15 AM, April 22, 2009  

Steve, sometime i have to take you on a nice ride that goes into IGH/Eagan. It isnt more than 30 miles but will get you away from the turn arounds and repeating the same roads in the first map. Of course you can extend it. and yes. hill...:)
Good luck with the Du!

CoachLiz 8:45 AM, April 22, 2009  

What a bike nightmare! I have a friend who is shipping his bike off to Buffalo Springs and asked me if I wanted to do the same.

NOT!!!

It will go on the plane with me and go on the plane home with me. I have had it get lost on the way home and a friend of mine has had his bike get lost on the way to a race, but it always shows up the next day...not two to three weeks later.

I hope you and Pharmie get your bikes back TODAY.

Maggs 10:55 AM, April 22, 2009  

I would have a serious problem if my bike had not been shipped yet. I'm pretty easy going, but more than 2 weeks later is crap! Good luck this weekend. I'm sure Big Rhonda appreciates the attention she's getting right now.

Unknown 10:58 AM, April 22, 2009  

That would be so stressful with waiting for the bikes. I hope it all turns out well and they get there on time.

Irish Cream 1:35 PM, April 22, 2009  

Oh my gosh, I can't believe you guys are still waiting for your bikes! I hope you get them back soon . . . and good luck with the Du!

Gotta Run..... 2:17 PM, April 22, 2009  

Love the name of the event. You will rock it. :)

13 hour work day... now that calls for endurance.

Being Robinson 2:39 PM, April 22, 2009  

Good luck on your race this weekend!

Carolina John 3:15 PM, April 22, 2009  

those duo's sound like fun. you know, like smiling through torture.

Wes 9:58 PM, April 22, 2009  

Hey Steve love your blog. Good job toughing out the sore ham in NO. By the way, how do you create those elevation profiles for your ride maps? I have no idea how hilly the courses I ride are, and it would be nice to know. Thanks.

Judi 8:45 PM, April 24, 2009  

i saw on FB you got your bikes back, thank GAWD. have a great race on sunday!

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