Drama in the Final Hours 

Thank goodness my work week is only about 15 hours, because as the Great American Ride came to a close, working out officially became my full-time job! The competition during these last two weeks of cycling was absolutely insane, and honestly, what I’m most proud of is that I managed to keep up with all of my other workouts amidst the heavy mileage.

When the dust finally settled, I had personally contributed 1,112 miles to our team’s massive 7,972-mile total. Out of 419 overall participants, I managed to finish 19th place overall and as the 5th place female!

Our Dawn Patrol team finished in a hard-fought second place for total miles—but the final countdown came with plenty of drama.

By Friday morning, we had actually surged into first place. That’s when things got interesting. We noticed that a member from the rival team we were battling for the top spot suddenly requested to follow every single person on our Dawn Patrol roster on Strava. Talk about a weird coincidence! (Luckily, I keep my account private and politely ignored the request).

When I checked the leaderboard around 10 PM on Friday night—just two hours before the midnight deadline—we were holding steady in first place with a 60-mile lead. But just as I feared, the other team was playing it sneaky. They held onto their final data, uploading a chunk of miles right before midnight to pass us and take the win. We are convinced our Strava “friend” was on a total recon mission to see who on our team had already logged rides and who might have miles left to log!

Even with the late-night ambush, we couldn’t be prouder. Dawn Patrol took second place as an 8-person team competing directly against an 11-person team. While we could have recruited outside riders to pad our numbers, we prefer keeping our team strictly among friends. It was an incredible effort, and as one of my teammates beautifully put it yesterday morning: “We’ll get ’em next year!”

 

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

Cycling: 30 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 16.4 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 7:49 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 64° in the basement, 55° and sunny outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Cycling: 34.11 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 14.0 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,037 feet
• Start time: 11:35 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Reston loop
• Weather: 67° and sunny with low humidity, climbing to 74°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves

Walking: 3.08 miles
• Average pace: 15:11 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 71 feet
• Start time: 3:34 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 75° and sunny with low humidity
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor

Stretching: Peloton 10-Minute Power Zone Post-Ride Stretch with Hannah Frankson

What a gorgeous day to be outside! Knowing it would warm up significantly from a crisp 50° morning, I opted to pound out a few early miles inside first before meeting up with my husband for a ride out on the W&OD Trail.

Considering the sheer volume of miles I’ve been putting in on my bikes lately, I was thrilled by how strong my legs felt out on the trail! Once we got back home, I immediately headed out for a walk to keep soaking in the beautiful weather.

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Core: Peloton 10-Minute Core Strength with Emma Lovewell

Cycling: 16 miles / 34 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 16.2 MPH / 15.8 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 9:08 AM / 12:08 PM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 66° in the basement, 67° and most cloudy outside / 66° in the basement, 75° and cloudy outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Walking: 3.08 miles
• Average pace: 15:13 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 135 feet
• Start time: 3:37 PM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 78° and cloudy with low humidity
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor

I only had four clients on my schedule, which turned out to be a huge help in finding the time to fit my self-imposed 50-mile spin into an otherwise normal workout day.

Because of how my client sessions were spaced out, I did have to break the 50 miles into two separate segments. I’ve been grinding hard for this challenge, but for the first time, boredom really set in during that second spin session. The miles just seemed to drag on and on, but I’m glad I stayed focused and got them done!

Once again, the weather was just too beautiful not to get outside for a walk!

 

Tuesday

Cycling: 30 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 15.9 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:21 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65° in the basement, 54° and partly cloudy outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Core: Peloton 10-Minute Core Strength with Emma Lovewell

Cycling: 21.21 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 13.4 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 705 feet
• Start time: 10:58 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Leesburg loop
• Weather: 67° and sunny with low humidity, climbing to 71°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves

Walking: 3.11 miles
• Average pace: 15:06 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 174 feet
• Start time: 1:29 PM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 74° and sunny with low humidity
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor

My friend Betsy was looking to log 20 miles, so I hopped on my spin bike early to knock out 30 miles before our meetup to ensure I still hit my daily distance.

Once again, the weather was absolutely delightful, and we couldn’t help but have a fabulous ride together. Wanting to continue basking in the gorgeous sunshine after we finished, I capped off the day with a wonderful outdoor walk.

 

Wednesday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 10 miles / 12 miles / 32 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 16.2 MPH / 16.4 MPH / 16.1 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:21 AM / 7:59 AM / 2:16 PM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65° in the basement, 51° and mostly sunny outside / 65° in the basement, 59° and sunny outside / 67° in the basement, 80° and sunny outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Running: 1 mile
• Average pace: 11:11 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 63 feet
• Start time: 12:59 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 78° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts, tank, and visor

Stretching: Peloton 5-Minute Post-Ride Stretch with Tunde Oyeneyin

I woke up about 30 minutes before my alarm and when couldn’t get back to sleep I  decided to get up and get a jump start on the day. I had been dreading the prospect of waiting until the afternoon to start my 50-mile spin, but that early start completely saved the day. It gave me enough time to get my lifting session completed and then set up camp on my spin bike to multitask while training a virtual client! Later in the morning, I squeezed in a second spin session, saving the final stretch of mileage for right after I wrapped up work. I even ended up logging a few bonus miles in honor of World Bicycle Day!

It also happened to be Global Running Day, and there was no way I was letting the day pass without a short run, so I headed outside for a mile (my first full mile since last Global Running Day). At first, it felt like I had completely forgotten how to run! I found myself bouncing up and down more than actually moving forward—it was the weirdest feeling. But after a bit, I finally settled into a groove and could feel my old form coming right back.

 

Thursday

Cycling: 34 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 16.0 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 5:29 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65° in the basement, 51° and clear outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Cycling: 20.33 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 14.0 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 646 feet
• Start time: 10:50 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Leesburg loop
• Weather: 80° and sunny with low humidity, climbing to 85°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves

Walking: 3.06 miles
• Average pace: 15:17 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 97 feet
• Start time: 2:29 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 86° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and  visor

Core: Peloton 5-Minute Core Strength with Adrian Williams

Stretching: Peloton 5-Minute Post-Ride Stretch with Jenn Sherman

I was incredibly grateful to have Kim help me pound out some virtual miles on Thursday morning while we caught up and chatted on the phone. Having that distraction makes the indoor spin bike time fly by!

 

Later in the morning, I squeezed in a client session right between my indoor spin and an outdoor ride. Even though the temperature had warmed up significantly compared to earlier in the week, the humidity stayed totally reasonable, and I ended up having a fantastic, peaceful solo ride. Once I got back home, I capped off the active day with an outdoor walk followed by my core strength and stretching classes.

 

Friday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 62.2 miles
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Average speed: 16.2 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:29 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 64° in the basement, 58° and sunny outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra

Balance and stretching: 45 minutes

Stretching: Peloton 5-Minute Post-Ride Stretch with Bradley Rose

Once my morning strength training session was complete around 6:25 AM, I set up shop on my spin bike to train a virtual client. I was steadily closing in on my standard 50 miles when my husband texted me from his outdoor ride with a fellow Dawn Patrol teammate. He mentioned he was going to push his ride to 65 miles before heading home.

Not one to miss an opportunity for a challenge, I immediately decided to stay on my spin bike until I reached a metric century (62.2 miles). With just three miles to go, I glanced at the clock and realized I had exactly 15 minutes before I needed to leave the house to teach my balance and stretching class! I immediately pushed the cadence, hammered out the final miles, and scrambled to get ready. I barely had time to change clothes—definitely no time for a shower—and arrived at the gym just as my very first student walked through the door. Talk about perfect timing!

 

Saturday

Gardening: 4 hours

Walking: 3.08 miles
• Average pace: 15:11 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 95 feet
• Start time: 12:44 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 85° and cloudy, climbing to 88° and partly cloudy
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor

Core: Peloton 10-Minute Core Strength with Emma Lovewell

With the final miles of the Great American Ride officially behind me, there was absolutely zero chance of a bike ride being on the schedule!

Instead, I took advantage of the break from the saddle and headed outside for some property maintenance. I spent the morning mowing and weed eating. Thanks to the new battery for my trimmer, I was actually able to finish the entire job in one session without having to stop and wait around for a recharge. To wrap up a productive day, I fit in a nice walk and then headed to church for 5:30 mass.

 

Garmin Badges Earned

Seven Garmin badges made their way to me this week… Also, Worth noting, I completed my 100th Peloton strength class on Thursday.

 

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

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

 

Questions:
  • • Have you ever encountered a little friendly spying in your own fitness apps or virtual challenges? How private do you keep your workout data? ~ While my workouts are posted on my blog for anyone to see, I keep my Strava private which shows on a map exactly where I do my bike rides, walks, etc. I do have our home, the beach house, and the farm’s exact locations hidden even for the people I allow to follow me on Strava, though.
  • • What is your favorite way to celebrate finishing a massive fitness goal? ~ I used to make sure I had mint chocolate ice cream on hand for after I’d finish a marathon, but I’d usually not have much of an appetite after the race…
  • • Which workout did you enjoy most this past week? ~ I loved all three of my outdoor rides!

 

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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