Rest Day

Phew, what a weekend!

Saturday morning found me sleeping in, due to a work event the evening before.  This guaranteed an evening run, since the heat index on Saturday hovered somewhere around 104.  My run was five miles, and it was a tough one, but it was also a personal best.  I did 5 miles in 1:03, which is outstanding.  I'm grateful Elton runs with me on these longer runs; it definitely pushes me better than I tend to push myself.

The really exciting part of the weekend though was getting clipless pedals and shoes!  I practiced on the trainer for a while Saturday evening so I could understand the whole "clip in clip out" thing (or as I learned at our local bike shop when they were putting on the pedals: When in doubt, clip out). 

We went to Penny Farms near Green Cove, where there are actually hills (or the closest Florida equivalent thereof) so that I could get in some practice before my tri.  Despite a miscommunication that led to my uncle almost running into me, I didn't fall on my first time out.  I'm sure that's yet to come.  The feeling of being attached to the bike, "one with the bike" was really different and pretty neat.  It actually increased my confidence while on the bike, which was great.  It also feels really nice to be a "grown up" cyclist.  I know this is my perception, but there was something that felt like I wasn't taking the whole thing seriously if I didn't have the appropriate pedals and shoes.  Now I can go for a fit.  Woot woot!