The Little Things
June 8, 2015

Last week I headed back out on the road again for my first bike ride of the year (not counting a slow ride I did around Marco Island a few weeks ago  or all the miles I did on my bike trainer this winter). I’m usually a bit nervous when I hit the road again (falling, running over a squirrel, being attacked by a dog, or hit by a car all run through my mind!), but I was also ready to actually go somewhere while biking instead of just staying in one place.

Last May and June I really struggled with bonking at the end of my rides, not fueling myself well enough. In July and August I fell into a good rhythm, and made sure to write down what I was eating and when I was eating it so that I wouldn’t have to re-learn this year.

I headed out mid-morning due to it being a little chillier, and it was about 60 degrees when I left. Last summer I listened to a lot of audiobooks while biking, and while I plan to do that again, I was behind on podcasts and decided to try to catch up on them first!

On The Road Again

I biked to the trail and as soon as I hit the train, I began to relax a bit more and fell into my old pattern. I know I mentioned last year that one of the things I loved about going on the trail all summer and fall was getting to watch the crops grow, so I made sure to check them out today. The corn was only a few inches tall at this point, and it was so cute!

I stopped at mile 11.75 to eat a Honey Stinger (I can eat shot bloks while riding but haven’t figured out how to eat the waffles while biking yet), and snapped this shot:

On The Road Again

When I turned around the wind was a lot more intense, and I was bent over close to my handle bars pedaling fiercely. I hit 13.8 miles right at the hour mark, and was thrilled at that pace. My pace slowed down a bit in the middle miles as I biked against the wind, but again could tell that I was much stronger than I was at this point last year.

I ended up biking 30.25 miles, which is farther than I’ve biked since my ride to Mackinac (but just a bit longer than my bike trainer PDR this past January), and I couldn’t be more pleased, especially for my first ride on the road. My body definitely felt a bit rough after that, as it was a longer distance than I’d biked in awhile, and I was going over bumps and being jolted around a bit as well.

I loved feeling the wind on my face again and seeing all the little creatures running and flying around. I honestly forgot just how much I loved the trail.

That fueled me really well and I never felt myself bonking! I’d say my first time back on the road again was a success!

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you been out biking yet this summer?

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6 responses to “On The Road Again”

  1. Cassie says:
    June 8, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    I have been cycling a lot lately too! We have just been doing quick rides usually somewhere between 14 and 20 miles but I’m hoping to hit a new max this year! I think the farthest I have ever gone is only 40 miles?

    • littlethingscaroline@gmail.com says:
      June 8, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      I wish I could join you for rides! What’s your goal for the summer?

  2. Abby @ BackAtSquareZero says:
    June 8, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    So wonderful that you have trails near you to ride.

  3. Kristen @ Glitter and Dust says:
    June 10, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Glad to see you back on your bike! Please dedicate a few of your rides to me. 😉 I will not be able to ride my road bike at all this summer because of the clipless pedals (the doctor does not recommend it this far along in my pregnancy). I’ll have to live vicariously through others and make up for it next summer!

    • littlethingscaroline@gmail.com says:
      June 10, 2015 at 11:21 am

      I did think of you on my ride since we talked about biking so much last summer! I’m sure it’ll be hard to give up biking this summer! Will you be able to ride at all without clipless pedals?