Great Ride!

Wow, what a day for a long (for me, anyway) ride! Sun, 70+ degrees...slow work schedule...why not? Rode my 35-mile course, from Snohomish, WA to Arlington and back. Went out conservatively and planned on riding back in the same fashion. Well, that didn't quite happen. At the turnaround in Arlington, I ran into a gentleman who asked if I'd like company on the way back. He was on a nice Cervelo Tri bike and was a 57-year old Ironman athlete with, I'd bet, single-digit bodyfat. He was in the middle of a 55-mile training ride. He's training for his fourth consecutive Ironman Coeur d'Alene. I've always trained solo on the bike, but this was a nice change of pace (pun intended). I would admit that he was above my current riding level, but as we cruised the 17+ miles back at around 20mph, I realized I had more in my legs than I thought. I felt stronger as we went. Due to my schedule (I take time off from work and ride mid-day usually), it would be hard to find a training partner. If I could hook up with someone just above my level every now and then, I'm sure it would benefit me. So Steve, if you happen to stumble upon this blog, thanks for the ride! You're a stud! Good luck at Coeur d'Alene, and shoot me a note if you want to ride again sometime.