First Tempo Ride of the Year!

(No, I'm not counting my fat bike race 2 months ago as a "tempo ride." That was WORSE.)

Tuesday was a weird ride. I was going to just go out and "ride" and see what I felt like doing. There were dark clouds starting to form, but I was watching my weather app and wasn't too concerned.

I realized a mile into my ride that I had forgotten my phone, so I knew I wanted to turn around and get it at some point - I didn't want to get TOO far from home on my first read ride of the year and end up with a bike issue and NOT be able to call someone. I got past 35W on the Greenway Trail and then turned around for home:

Almost 11 miles at a moderate pace (20 mph ave).

"Well... umm... crazy thought... Maybe I should do my 'tempo loop' and throw in 45 minutes of hard work now. Umm... sounds horrible. Let's go."

I was thinking about that with a mile or 2 left of my "first" ride, so I didn't go TOO hard up the Marshall Hill so my legs wouldn't be totally dead for a tempo ride. But normally when I do that tempo ride, it starts with an easy mile or 2... not a moderate 11 miles! I also shortened the tempo ride a bit as I avoided River Road right away because it's still HORRIBLY sandy and full of potholes. Waiting on the sweepers at least.

According to MapMyRun, it was exactly a mile shorter than my "normal" route that
goes to the river right away (vs. just staying straight on Cleveland like I just did).

This was my first bike ride with my new Garmin (besides the fat bike race), so I hadn't customized any of the screens. I didn't have anything showing me my overall average which was a bummer, but I DID like that this Garmin showed me a "live" speed - I haven't had that feature since my last bike computer died maybe 8 years ago! So I'll be tweaking what my Garmin shows me shortly.

I noticed when I got stopped for a moment at a light that it cycles (pun intended) through some numbers: total time, total distance, and overall average. So I saw that I was at 20.3 mph when I hit the edge of downtown, which is when my average would TANK as it always does. But I was also happy knowing that I did a lot into the wind and was about to get a push home.

Dark clouds closing in with 4 miles to go!


Big drops starting to fall (taken 2 seconds after
the previous photo while still stopped at the same light).

I was pelted for the rest of the way home, but it wasn't a HEAVY rain, and it wasn't bad. I only had 1 real corner left, so I took it easy so I didn't slide out. I finished at home (pooped, but not TOTALLY wiped) and everything was just damp:

Home! Soaked sidewalk and bike, but no puddles yet.


20.3 mph average (including a Ramsey Hill climb),
but LOOK AT THAT 26 MPH WIND FROM THE EAST!!


I immedately saw weather reports of bad winds with
that storm that was moving in. Got done in time!


My loop.


Dark blue (SLOOOW) up Ramsey Hill.


Fast down from Snelling with less than 2 miles left.


Heart rate. Wind at my back for the last few miles, and it shows I took it too easy.

After climbing through the edge of downtown and climbing Ramsey Hill, I was around 19.6 or 19.7 mph. I was up to 20.0 under 2 miles later. And then I got up to 20.3 by home. (There's a CHANCE I hit 20.4 before climbing a bit at the end without the wind at my back.) That's about average for an early season ride.