Ive done 3 century rides before so doing 100 miles isn't something totally new. Doing 90 miles in the same week you have run a half marathon on Sunday and a 9.7 mile run on Tuesday is a new wrinkle. I decided to take an early morning drive to the Withlacoochee State Trail near Brooksville to get my 90 miles in. This is beautiful rail trail that is flat, fast, windy and full of wildlife. Unlike the Van Fleet Trail near Clermont, it has small little towns along the way making it a little more civilized!! I got to the Ridge Manor Trailhead at 715am and started the ride at 730am.
The first hour was fast and incredibly comfortable. I decided to test the clothing I might wear during the Ironman and found that my tri suit is probably the most comfortable on the bike. I tried my bike shorts over the tri suit and didn't even make it a mile before returning to the car and tossing them back in.
17 miles down the road, I made a quick comfort stop at Floral City. I also took a little time to return business phone calls. Hey..it IS a work day after all!! I jumped back on the bike and continued to Citrus Springs where I filled water bottles and offloaded some fluids of my own.
Just a few more miles away and I was at the end of the trail and the quick turn around to return to Floral City! Those last 17 miles turned out to be very painful as I had run out of gels and nutrition and cramped up ALOT!
One of the things I learned on this ride was that I need more calories than I thought. Since I have had a gastric bypass and do not absorb every calorie I engest, my nutritionist, Coach Beth, and Hector all agreed that I needed about 100 to 150 more calories than normal. They were dead on right as I made it though the first 45 miles without any issue.
Im proud but exhausted!! Time to go pass out!!
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