bike ride outside!

Today I was supposed to do some cross-training. My friend Dorothy was thinking to bike with me, but then she couldn't, so I decided to go alone. I enjoy biking up Emigration Canyon, and barring a flat tire or something, figured I'd have a good time. I had Loren keep his phone handy in case I needed help, and off I went.

Disclaimer: remember, I'm not much of a cyclist, so if you are, you will laugh at my slow speed! Also, I ride my husband's very heavy & clunky mountain bike; the plus is that it has a lot of low gears which is nice for climbing the canyons.

It's about 590m (1935 ft) vertical change from my house to the top of Emigration Canyon, and it's about 17.75 km (11 miles) to the top, so round-trip it was 35.5 km (22 miles). It was about 57 degrees out when I left (14C), but quite windy, and I knew it would be much colder up at the top. I wore a long-sleeve shirt, bike shorts with tights over the top (I don't have any biking tights and wanted the padding on the behind!), and brought a fleece, a windbreaker, and gloves for the ride down. I was a little warm down in the valley, but not bad, and was glad I dressed warmly with the wind and the temperature change at the top.

I took it pretty easy and kept my HR about 140 for the ride. The ride up was not too hard - the wind, very strong, was at my back and it really helped. There were a lot of bikers out there today, both of the bicycle and the motorcycle variety. It really was a gorgeous day, and so nice to be outside. It took me 20 min to get to the parking lot at the mouth of the canyon (just past the zoo) and then another 52 min to make it to the top, for 1 hr 12 min up. My muscles felt a bit tired, but not bad considering I haven't been biking in a while (I've been racewalking a lot, which is a very happy thing!).

At the top I took in the view (see photo of me above) and then bundled up w/jacket & fleece & gloves for the ride down. The gusty winds at the top had me a bit scared on the descent, but it calmed a little as I went down into an annoyingly strong headwind. Better a headwind on the way down, though, than on the way up.

I got back in 1:52 total, so it took 40 min to get down. Ave HR on the way up was 139, but on the way down it was only 112. All in all, a great ride, and I enjoyed getting out in the sunshine.