Three Thankful Things about Thursday

Yesterday was GORGEOUS here. I posted on FB: to ride or run? (If you didn't weigh in your opinion, it must be because you don't follow me... so click HERE and follow).  I texted TriGuru for a workout and he suggested I go out for an hour, push for 5 minutes, then back off for 5 for several intervals, and then just take it easy for the rest of the ride. It sounded like a great plan. So here is what I am thankful about:

1. I did not DIE. You know how afraid I am of cars while riding Athena. I have to go about 2 miles before catching a bike lane and I was nervous. I started after the lunch rush, so actually there was not a lot of traffic and those who were out there gave me ample amount of space. So, yay! I actually called my husband to say, if I don't make it home, tell the kids I love them and I was serious that is how scared I was riding on the road with cars. And down one hill, I got up to 28 mph... it was scary.... but also invigorating.

2. My calves did NOT cramp. I took the same route that I did with TriGuru on THIS ride but I really concentrated on my form. I tried to have the right foot position and use my quads to push down instead of using my toes (which caused the calf cramps before). Athena was nice to me and I really felt comfortable.

3. I DID NOT fall. Yay, for little victories! There are a bunch of stop lights on this route, so I was forced to practice unclipping a lot. But I never fell and I thought that was a huge victory. I think it is just that you have to think about unclipping before stopping, even if that means a while before you stop. I was successful and it definitely built my confidence up.

So all in all it was a great ride. And I decided to do an impromptu BRICK. I quickly changed and started the run. The first mile I could NOT feel my legs and ended up going way to fast. My goal was to run for 20 minutes Here are my splits/pace:

Mile 1: 7:34
Mile 2: 8:15
Mile .5: 8:00

Running after biking is weird. Your legs feel all wonky and honestly, I did not KNOW I was running so fast. A normal pace for me during a weekly run would be between 8:30 and 9:00. I hope this is a good sign for getting me ready for the Tri... but I am sure my nerves will get the best of me... hopefully NOT inducing vomit tho. Total workout: 17.34 miles on Athena, 2.5 mile run.

What are you thankful for today? Anyone racing this weekend?