I didn't want to get going this morning. I even crawled back in bed after breakfast, but somehow I made it on the bike before nine! I rode east on Iliff and then north on the Platte River trail to The Pepsi Center. It is beautiful out here! I rode amongst a nice breeze in the morning sun and with birds, geese, and ducks. I decided the Denver fitness enthusiast is much friendlier than the Portland rain-hardened commuter. Cyclists smiled as I passed and I even rode with an older woman for a while. Her tanned legs were full of veins, wrinkles and sags, but they were still beautiful because she was fit and muscled. So far, it seems that I have to ride exactly 5 miles from Jo and Brian's to get to anywhere worth riding, which is making 10 mile rides difficult. I am still trying, though.I calculated my average riding since I got this bike to be 50 miles a week, half of my goal. Still, I think it must be pretty good for someone who barely exersized in 6 months and hasn't ridden 100 miles a week in 2 years. 8: 58 AM start, 1:39 elapsed time 20.35 mi, av 14.7 mph av HR 148, max 169
Denver University and on
Today's bike ride did not impress me. I rode from Jo and Brian's through several Denver neighborhoods near DU, thento Washington Park and on to the Cherry Creek Bike path. Initially there were to many stops and too many times I had to look at the map to call it a "bike ride." This felt more like a "stroll." Consequently, I ended up riding longer than planned, and got more sun than intended (no burn though). I saw many other people outside trying to be healthy and a few shiny mallards playing in the river. After the first 45 minutes the temperature seemed to increase from a pleasant 75 to an unpleasant 79. The last half of the ride, I struggled to pedal in the heat I am not acclimated to. Once again, I felt like I could feel each and every tendon and muscle moving, urging me to stop and sit in the shade. Bheh. Oh well.8:30 AM start, 1:32 elasped time 18.9 mi, av 14.5 mph av HR 137, max 189