Let the Poppers Pop and the Breakers Break!

Let the the Poppers Pop, and Breakers Break

Today I decided to hit the bridges in Clearwater for some hill work. It's spring break, and that means I had to get out there early to beat the crowds. 

My shoulder feels fine. I only feel discomfort if I reach back as if I'm throwing a pitch in a baseball game, or if I'm simulating the forward crawl swimming stroke. Seeing how I'm not  doing either anytime soon I think I'm good. Lol

Today, my goal was to ride the bridges to get some good conditioning in. I also decided to ride the bridges in a slightly higher gear. This was a mental trick to tell myself I've ridden the hills in a higher gear in training, thus my training rides were harder than the actual race itself. I'll ride the bridges this way from here on out. Will that work? Who knows, but I'm gonna use all the mental tricks I can! Lol



I was lucky enough to finish the 1st part of my ride without running into many people. This is Sand Key. The beach is still empty in the far background:



I felt really strong today. In addition to riding a slightly higher gear, I focused on my form. There are some riders who can sprint up a hill, or accelerate with a quick burst of speed at will. Unfortunately, I ain't one of them. Lol I have to ride at my own tempo, pretty much on cruise control like an old diesel.  Lol 

With that said, I have to focus on my own ride. If someone passes me going uphill, I have to resist the urge to try and ride faster to keep up with them. 

Triathlons are won on the run 90% of the time. I can't risk using too much energy on the bike and have nothing left for the run. With that in mind, I have to keep riding so I can find the perfect speed for me come race day.

I rode the Sand Key Bridge for 90 minutes today. Before I rode to the other bridge, I stopped in a secluded spot to stretch a bit and get mentally prepared for all the people:



Sand Key Beach and Clearwater Beach are literally 10 minutes from each other, but it seems like most people go to the Clearwater Beach. It was PACKED. Today was a perfect day to be at the beach, and everybody and they momma was on their way:



The traffic on the right is all the cars headed to the beach. It was thick. Government cheese thick! Lol  Notice I'm on the sidewalk away from all the traffic.  I HATE riding on the roads, especially now.  

Hit and run drivers are a serious problem down here. I refuse to be a statistic.

When  people get to Clearwater, all they  can see is the water, the sun, sand, and swimsuits. The last thing they see is my black a** riding a bike! Lol So I keep my distance!

All in all, I had a great ride. I rode for a total of 3 hours today. The only thing that happened was I had a cramp   
in my left thigh as I went up the bridge on my last ride up, which was 2 hours and 50 minutes in. I wasn't extremely tired when it happened, so I don't know if it was fatigue, dehydration, or lack of fuel. Whatever it was, I'll have to figure it out by race day.

After my ride, I take my standard 20 minute walk and do my stretches.  Usually, I have this spot all to myself, but today people were all over having a good time:



Eventually, they walked over to the beach and I had My Spot to myself again.  A couple minutes later, the Pirate Ship sails by and people are on there doing the Macarena:  Lol



All in all, I had a great ride and a great day. People were out in droves just having a good time, and seeing others enjoying themselves can be quite  relaxing. 

I will take Monday off and just relax. No workout. Tuesday I will hit the treadmill at the gym. Wednesday and Thursday I'll do an interval on my bike trainer. Saturday I'll do a long run.

When my shoulder gets better I'll do an open water swim at Sand Key. It's about that time I get reacquainted with salt water! Lol

Thanks for reading! Till next time, Peace!