Long bike Saturday and Long Run Sunday

This weekend was the first of several weekends designed to prepare me for the for the two halfs I'm doing (or two HALVES, of you prefer).

ISaturday we left at 6:30 and headed out to Algodones, also known as Wherethehellami, New Mexico, about 23 miles away.

Myles has this interesting habit of going faster than I can. I can't keep up with him. Eventually he'll slow down, after he's about a quarter mile ahead, and then as soon as I catch up, OFF he zooms again. Eventually, he'll look at me, bewildered, and say something like, "why are you hanging back so far?" As though I were some anti-social misfit that can't stand to be within 20 feet of people. I finally explained to him that it wasn't shiness, or being a lone-free-ranger, I can't FREAKING GO THAT FAST. Eventually, I was able to communicate that calmly.
I don't think people appreciate just how slowly I do just about everything.
I really am not be self-depracating, or modest.
I AM that slow.
My average speed was about 15 mph.

Ahem.
but, anyway, the most dangerous part of the trip was actually the bike paths. Early on the weekends, it's not so bad, but sometime after 8 am anyone who has the wherewithall to make it to a bike shop and pedal while thinking, and sometimes barely that, finds their way out onto the bike path, weaving all over it and maybe, just maybe, staying far enough to the right that you can pass without risking a head-on collision. Most annoying of all people who stroll 2 or 3 abreast, instead of moving over the walking path. Also, I'm stunned at how many people are out there with their kids, and they aren't wearing helmets! Do you KNOW that kids brains don't need much of a bump to make them slosh around and hit the skull? Also, did you know that 4 horses in a tunnel can stink up the tunnel in record time?
But, I'm getting ahead of myself, and starting to sound negative.
So, I'll start over.

Today was absolutely the most awesome weather for a nice long ride. Whiney Athena was silent most of the time, oweing to the slightly breezy, overcast, cool morning all the way out. We started out at Montano on the bike trail and then headed north, leaving it eventually and taking some side streets out to 313, which is a fantabulous route for biking. The road gets rougher as you pass through Bernalillo (pronounced BERN uh LEE yo) and then again at Algadones.

Being as it rained a lot, I was convinced that I smelled a LOT of livestock by-product (which, despite what many people in South Dakota used to tell me, is NOT the smell of money) but Myles insisted that he never smelled it.

I'm still having saddle issues, but Jane thinks that if I spend enough time on long rides I'll be able to "make friends with my saddle."
Hmm. Sounds kinky.
But maybe she's right - if I could make friends with my saddle, it might silent Whiney Athena on the bike for good. After we finished the long ride, we met up with other outlaws for Coffee.

I'm not sure if it was the 46-mile ride yesterday that made my leg so tired today, but the 9 miles I ran today were tough. I've been lazy on my long runs lately, and the psoas muscles that pull your legs up and down are NOT happy with me. I ran along the bosque, and unfortunately by the time I got out there, even though the weather was glorious the path was really, really crowded.

The first half of the run was nice, but the second half was getting harder; toward the last mile it was getting harder and harder just to lift my legs. The good news, though, was that I ran the whole way - no walk breaks! The last time I ran a half marathon I had the same sore feeling, yes, but I was walking 1 out of every 6 minutes. So, today was a triumph of sorts.

This week, I vow to ride my bike at least once to work, and do at least one long swim.