With plans to ride in the Reston Century until our friend Chuck had ACL reconstruction surgery in March and was instructed not to ride outside until September, Bill and I were curious to see the ride in action on Sunday. Most of the ride is on parkways and streets so we found the W&OD Trail delightfully empty; however, our own half century ride took us past two of the rest stops where we seized the opportunity to stop in and check things out while the event was in full swing.
The first stop that we came upon was in Leesburg near the coffee shop where we often stop for a bite to eat on our way home from our ride.
Back on the trail, we rode to it’s western end in Purcellville. Expecting my new bike to arrive at the bike shop within the next couple of weeks, I took a picture of my current bike, anticipating I won’t be riding it much longer. We got word on Wednesday that my new bike is expected to arrive around September 6th.
Heading back east, Bill pulled out the GoPro (affiliate link) for some video. We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful 45-mile trail in our backyard!
Once we hit Ashburn, we came upon another Reston Century rest stop and stopped just long enough to take a picture.
We finished up our 50-miler feeling tired, but otherwise pretty good. It was my first 50-miler of the summer, and my second ever. The ride showed me that I’ll definitely need to find a good training plan for next year’s century, one that will incorporate my normal running days into my weekly schedule and most likely more than one ride per week.
I ran at 5 AM on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The temps were in the low 70%, but the humidity was at 100%. Despite the soggy conditions, I was please to remain consistent with my pace. Much slower than the good ole days, but a lot faster than earlier this summer.
I moved my Saturday long run up to Friday morning and since I was only running six miles (I know that’s not remotely long), I was able to fit it in between my morning clients. I have to admit that it was amazing to get up and have a relaxing Saturday morning without heading out to run. Even though I taught a class for several hours on Saturday afternoon, my day was fantastic!
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
- Sunday – Lunch With My Runner Friends, Dynamite, And A Stylin’ New Robe
- Monday – Race Linkup: August 2018 Edition
- Wednesday – Ask Coach Deb About Natural Fueling, Pelvic Floor Pain, And Carrying Fifty Extra Pounds While Running
- Thursday – Pulling Together Recaps From Ten Days Of Running, Hiking, And Biking In Wyoming And Utah
Looking ahead to this coming week…
- Wednesday – Please be sure to join me for my monthly Wednesday Word linkup where this month’s word is talent.
- Friday – If I have time, I’ll post some pictures of our very own Trader Joe’s that is finally opening up in our community and explain why that’s so cool, especially to me!
In addition to the runs I mentioned above, here’s a complete run-down of my workouts from this past week (completed mostly in our home gym)…
- Questions:
- Do you shop at Trader Joe’s? ~ Our nearest one is about a thirty minute drive away so I can’t wait until Thursday when our new store opens!
- What do you consider a long run? ~ The Cruisers consider anything over ten miles to be a long run.
- Did you race this weekend?
And that’s a wrap… Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Wendy from Taking The Long Way Home for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Great job on your 50 mile bike ride! I’m jealous you have a 45 mile trail that looks awesome in your backyard.
I don’t take it for granted that we have two fantastic trails in our back yard. Every time I visit my mom and have to run on narrow country roads, I count my blessings. 🙂
I think I remember learning in the RRCA course that a “long run” is over 9 miles…but I think it’s more about time than distance and I’d say anything over an hour could be considered long. Besides, it’s all relative! When I’ve been coming back from injury 5 miles is a long run.
We have a Trader Joe’s about 15 minutes away but it’s always so crowded there so I don’t go as much as I’d like.
I totally agree that a long run’s length is relative to what distance you’re currently running. The old marathoning Deb would have scoffed at six miles being a long run. 😉
50 miles is a long bike ride! Way to go!!! I am hoping that when my hubby retires in December, we do more bike riding. You are lucky to have a 45 mile trail so close. we will have to drive to get to a rail trail, and I don’t like street riding – too much traffic.
I consider anything over 12 miles to be a long run.
I hope to do more 50-milers when I get my new bike and I’m not riding on a heavy piece of steel. 😉
I understand. My bike is a heavy piece of steel!
Are “LOVE” statues a thing there? I remember you posted a different one earlier this summer when a few of you met up for a ride. We have one – RObert Indiana – a couple blocks from the office and HOPE on our corner. There are a couple of Trader Joe’s but they’re not convenient. We have Fairway and Whole Foods closer.
Yes, our slogan is “Virginia Is For Lovers” so we have LOVE sculptures throughout the commonwealth.
Our community got a Whole Foods about four years ago and two Wegman’s about ten years ago so I’m all set for grocery shopping! 😀
oh duh, think I knew that. I only saw the sign once when I went from Gettysburg south into WV. Same for the Mason Dixon sign. Things you miss usually coming down the coast.
My definition of a long run has changed over the years–it used to be 10 miles and over but now I consider anything over 6 miles a long run. Perspective!!!
Congrats on that 50 mile ride. The farthest I’ve ridden is 35 miles and that’s local.
We have a TJs just down the street. I don’t go there often, tho! While I love the packaged goods, the produce isn’t as good as what I can get at other places. Did you know Aldi owns TJs?
Actually, Aldi does not own Trader Joe’s. Aldi and Trader Joe’s are each owned by brothers, but operate under completely separate and different corporations.
I’m hoping to go on more longer rides once I get my new, much lighter bike. 😀
Awesome job on your long bike ride!
Thanks! It was fun so I need to do it more often.
Hah – it probably was a good day to be on the W&OD. Only the last 5 miles were on the trail this year. 50 miles is long ride –especially when you haven’t worked up to it.
Yeah, I’d only done about 4-5 36-milers this summer so the 14 mile jump was noticeable. My new bike just came in and we’re hoping to pick it up this afternoon when we get home from visiting my mom if it’s not raining. BTW, the coffee shop we stopped at when we rode together just closed. 🙁
I’ll give you my spin on it (get it?). If you can ride 50 miles, you can already do a Century Ride, especially with your level of fitness! Of course, if you are shooting for a certain time that would require some training. But with those yummy rest stops, you’ll be tempted to spend some time at each one. They’re all about having fun and not racing (or that’s what they told us!). Thanks for linking!
I have no intentions of riding for time on my century ride. I want to enjoy my time and keep it fun! My week to week rides, though? Yes, I do try to push and ride stronger and faster than previous weeks.
[…] Sunday – Riding Our Own Half Century While Checking Out The Reston Century […]
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