Early Morning Ride

This Morning we did "Tour of the Islands" as a tempo ride! It was 85 before the sun even came up. Lots of excellent hydration. There are no natural hills here, so no coasting. We are smoking up that IOP connector these days too! Riding early in the morning was great, there were fewer cars, and much less "stuff" going on on the streets!

Rest Day

Rest Day is the most important day of the week! After a long bike on Saturday, Followed by a 7 mile run yesterday, I celebrated rest day by taking a long walk out with the Doggies on Sullivans. It's amazing, they are so smart, they know we turn at the sign, and they can always find station 22.5!

Things I am learning about running in the Lowcountry.

The Friday run is always the hardest one of the week. I'm not really sure why. I think I will have better performance if I make Friday a rest day, or perhaps a swim day....HMMM..... This morning we were blessed to be able to run on the Cooper River Bridge. It was 82 degrees at 7:30 am. Things that Dan and I are learning as we spend our first full season here:

1. Hydration. If we are going running in the morning, we drink water or G2 all night long....Then, when we get up, we drink more! We also drink more on the run....failure to do any of the above leads to an immediate bonk!

2.Attire. None of this is pretty, none of us became triathletes to make the big fashion statement. However, it is essential to wear a "technical fabric" ok, so that's just a nice way to say polyester....cotton of any kind does not work, it's just icky.

3. Eat a snack before you go.....It helps...our bodies are working superhard to stay cool.

4. Go Easy. We have learned to run "Lowcountry" a nice,slow and steady touring pace on our long runs. We have seen a remarkable amount of the penninsula this way too!

5. Go EARLY. The sun doesn't rise until after 6pm, but stays out until 9pm...We go as early as possible.

RIDING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

So, as Diane says, every ride really is an adventure! Dan and I moved to the Lowcountry in order to maximize our outdoor time. I am lucky enough to have been swimming in the ocean since April, (without a wetsuit since May 1st). I have the Mighty Cooper River Bridge to Run on and miles and miles of scenic country roads to ride on......NOT! Actually, there are miles of roads, but riding in the Lowcountry is a challenge! First of all, the drivers here have not figured out that bicycles are vehicles. They have no concept of sharing the road. None whatsoever! Here's an example....I am riding along at 17.8 miles per hour down Coleman Boulevard, bright colors, helmet, the whole nine yards. A driver is stopped at the stop sign, makes eye contact, and drives through as if I don't exist. I have been passed on the right (where there is NO right turn lane, they just nudge me along); the rotaries are a freak show too. It's like I'm invisible. Then, there's the headwind......in Massachusetts I had crazy hills, here we have the headwind....like riding through mud, and today, I thought I saw flying monkeys! It has been an adjustment all around for us, but warts and all, we much prefer a ride through the Lowcountry to riding anywhere else on the planet!

A NEW BEGINNING - 2010

After a long time away from the blog, I have decided to start this blog again after the death of my beloved cousin at the young age of 50. This year, I have decided to dedicate my season to her by fundraising for each of my races in her memory for the 15-40 connection. Only the Alzheimer's Ride (aridetoremember.org) and Komen will be excluded. I look forward to training, and sharing all of my adventures....many which are new as I have moved South....Thanks to all of my readers and cheerleaders!