Bike to Work Day

For the first time the DC Metro Bike to Work Day was moved to Thursday, a day earlier than the actual date, the third Friday of May. It’s a huge event organized by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections with more than 100 pit stops in the metro area. The W&OD Trail goes all out with at least six (maybe more) rest stops along the 44.5-mile trail which are set up and open between 6 and 10 AM . The stops vary, but most provide breakfast foods, snacks, coffee, water, swag/prizes, bike mechanics, music, and all registered participants receive a cotton blend unisex t-shirt (registration is free).

After hearing my husband and Dawn Patrol friends tell me how fun this event is each year, I decided to take the morning off and join them for this year’s ride. It drizzled for the first 45 minutes, but by the time we got to our first stop the rain had moved out. Only one Dawn Patrol friend made it out, but we saw many other friends throughout the morning. I was surprised when we lingered at the stops for 15-30 minutes, but thoroughly enjoyed myself.

 

Overview of the Week

Before getting into each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…

 

Sunday

Walking: 3.12 miles
• Average pace: 15:19 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 100 feet
• Start time: 7:01 PM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 77° and cloudy, dropping to 69°
• What I wore: shorts and s/s shirt

Tired after sitting for 11-½ hours in the car riding to and from visiting my mom for Mother’s Day (we had a lovely time together), I needed to get out and stretch my legs so I headed out for a walk in the absolutely delightful evening weather.

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 42.34 miles
• Bike: Salsa Warbird Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 13.6 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,342
• Start time: 11:31 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Vienna loop
• Weather: 76° and cloudy, climbing to 77°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves

Dressed in our VeloPigs kits, my husband and I readied our gravel bikes for a ride on our beloved gravel on the western side of our county before the next day’s forecasted rain made those roads a muddy mess. As we rode up our street, I immediately realized that the electronic shifters on my Warbird were dead even though we are both pretty sure we’d charged the battery since our Florida road trip. With no other choice, we turned so I could change bikes.

Once on my road bike, riding gravel was no longer an option so we checked the wind direction before turning east on the W&OD Trail – it’s preferable to us both to have a tailwind on the second half of our ride. Disappointment from not being able to ride gravel turned to jubilation when we saw our friend Chuck about ten miles into our ride and rode with him for about 30 miles. Chuck’s 85 miles added to my 42 miles and my husband’s 43 miles added 170 miles to Dawn Patrol’s Great American Ride total.

You might ask why my husband’s Garmin had him at 43 compared to my 42 miles. Well, we noticed that my speed sensor was no longer connected (via bluetooth) to my Garmin so it wasn’t measuring the wheel rotations, which combined with the bike’s wheel size, improves distance accuracy.

The lesson of the day? Technology is great when it works!

 

Once home I cut a bouquet of white peonies from my perennial garden to bring inside before rain hit the next day. White peonies are my favorite flowers and just knowing that I transplanted these from my mom’s garden several years ago makes them even more special.

 

Tuesday

Cycling: 52.2 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 15.5 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:57 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65° in basement, 66° with steady rain outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Once again I multitasked by riding on my spin bike while training a client. With rain coming down steadily and forecast to hang around for the day, I stayed on after we finished up our session and continued riding in the humid basement.

 

Wednesday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 17 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 15.1 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 7:13 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 66° in basement, 63° and mostly cloudy outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Walking: 2.03 miles
• Average pace: 16:05 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 104 feet
• Start time: 4:58 PM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 71°, cloudy, and very humid
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor

I got up early to lift before seeing clients and then hopped on my spin bike for an easy-peasy few miles while chugging 32 ounces of water over 1-½ hours for my upcoming test. By mid-morning I was at the hospital for hopefully the last of my tests, a nuclear medicine renal scan where they injected a radioactive substance in me while scanning my urinary tract for 15 minutes. Next they injected Lasix (a diuretic) while scanning for another 15 minutes. My doctor ordered the test to make sure there was no damage done to my right kidney during the time I had hydroureteronephrosis – the test assesses kidney function and the flow of urine through the urinary tract.

By the time the test was completed my bladder was ready to explode and I had to use the restroom three times before leaving the hospital. We stopped for groceries on the way home and I had to use the restroom there twice. TMI? LOL

I know this isn’t a gardening blog (or medical blog ↑), but once home I checked on my rain soaked peonies that appeared to be napping on the coreopsis until they dry from the weight of the rain.

 

Thursday

Cycling: 44.14 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 14.4 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,348 feet
• Start time: 5:36 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Reston/Leesburg loop
• Weather: 65° and drizzly, climbing to 69° and mostly cloudy
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves

We stopped in Herndon first which was our home stop for Bike to Work Day and where we picked up our t-shirts. There we met our friend Tom and while my husband enjoyed a coffee, I ate a banana.

 

Next we rode to Reston where we saw our friend and VeloPigs leader Kasey who was volunteering. This stop had delicious blueberry muffins from Costco so while my husband had another coffee, I enjoyed a muffin. I picked up a fanny pack which came in handy to carry my t-shirt and rain jacket which I’d forced-fit into one of my back pockets. Just before leaving we watched a guy ride in with a bubble blower attached to the front of his bike and a rubber ducky riding tandem.

 

As we headed back west we pulled in at the Sterling pit stop and visited with our local bike shop manager/mechanic Oscar. Definitely not hungry at this point, I didn’t even look to see what food they were offering.

 

And finally, we arrived in Leesburg where we saw our friend and VeloPigs ride leader Phil who also manages one of the local bike shops. I picked up a couple of mini Cliff bars, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and some bike safety coloring books and crayons. Just before leaving to head home, we saw Allen (who works with Oscar) pulling in and snapped a selfie.

 

I had collected so much stuff over the morning that my pockets and new fanny pack were stuffed to the gills. When I expressed interest in the coloring books at the Leesburg stop, the nice  volunteer gave me a reusable shopping bag so I could carry everything home. With no other option, I swung it over my shoulders like a backpack and pedaled away happily with my loot.

 

Friday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Balance and stretching: 45 minutes

Walking: 2.5 miles
• Average pace: 15:03 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 8:27 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 66° inside, 71°, cloudy, and drizzly outside
• What I wore: shorts and sports bra

Gardening: 50 minutes

Drizzly weather kept me inside on my treadmill for the second Friday in a row. Eventually it cleared off, but boy was it humid! After dinner I planted flowers in pots on the deck and my hair frizzed to twice it’s size in the short time I was outside. LOL

 

Saturday

Cycling: 42 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 15.9 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:41 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 66° in basement, 66° and drizzly outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

It was raining steadily when I got up so I stayed inside in the basement once again on my spin bike to grind out some miles. This ride moved me back solidly into 2nd place female and 8th place overall out of 412 riders in the Great American Ride.

In the evening my husband and I hosted our annual Italian dinner party, three months after the original date which had to be rescheduled thanks to my ruptured appendix so the rest of the day was all about food prep and checking things off my todo list. I’ll share more fun details during our next coffee date.

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

In case you skipped checking in on my blog these past weeks, here’s what you missed…

 

Questions:
  • • Have you participated in Bike to Work Day or a similar running/walking event? ~ This was my first Bike to Work Day and I’ve participated in many Global Running Day events over the years.
  • • What recent technology malfunctions have you had recently?
  • • What your favorite type of food? ~ It’s a toss up between Mexican and Italian for me. Perhaps I prefer Mexican because I usually have it with a margarita! 😉
  • • Which workout did you feel was most successful this week? ~ Bike to Work Day was so fun even though it might not have been the toughest workout.

 

And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!

 

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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!

 

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