2nd Bike Ride of the Summer

My friend, Ray, and I went on a bike ride Saturday morning. He has a bike rack, so he came down and picked me up. I have not invested in a bike rack yet, so if I want to ride anywhere other than around my neighborhood I have to wait for my lovely friends to offer to come get me. I got up and had a quick breakfast of toast with peanut butter and strawberry jelly and a side of cottage cheese. I also drank a mug of English Breakfast tea. When Ray arrived, I was all ready with my helmet and camelbak; I was excited to be using my camelbak for the first time!

We headed over to a new trail that has been paved over old railroad tracks. When the whole trail is finished it will be 13 miles one way. They still have to finish paving one small section and that is supposed to be done by this fall. We had a great ride! What I really like about this trail is that most of it is covered by trees. So even though it was hot, we had consistent shade and a constant breeze to keep us cool and refreshed. On our way down we ended up sprinting (riding our bikes as fast as we could) for 1 mile. WOW, that was a workout indeed; my legs were burning, my heart rate was up, and the sweat was pouring! We started at the beginning of the trail and rode until the trail was closed (the section that’s unfinished). We took a quick break and headed back. The ride back doesn’t look hard…but man oh man! It’s a slight incline all the way back. Our legs kept hoping and expecting for the incline to peak, the part where you feel the burn in your legs ease some once you realized you’ve hit the peak and are either on level ground or heading down hill. I kept wondering when it was going to end, lol! However, all whining aside, it was an excellent workout! I really enjoyed myself and it was a nice change for my body.

I believe I filled my camelbak all the way up, but I’m thinking that I might not have because I ended up drinking the whole thing up. It’s 70ml and should last you for about 3 hours. I finished it after the ride, which was good, but I was a bit surprised I drank all the water up. I definitely kept myself hydrated! I think we rode 14-15 miles total. I don’t know how long it took us because I once again forgot my stopwatch. I had a great ride and am looking forward to my next bike ride.

When we got back to my place, I made Ray the Cantaloupe-Banana Green Monster. He liked! It was a great refresher after our ride. When Ray left, I dug into my leftovers from the night before. I enjoyed half a chicken breast marinated in olive oil and a vinaigrette topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, arugula, and shaved parmesan cheese. I also had some leftover grilled mixed vegetables. Very tasty! I ate well during the day because Saturday night I went to a Crab Feast and enjoyed my first Blue Crabs of the season, along with a variety of yummy foods and of course some beer!

There will be no working out today for me. We will be celebrating my mom’s birthday this evening. I might try and do some stretching tonight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!