Wait for it...

...I biked 50 miles today!!!  My quads are continuously cramping and I might pass out at any minute, but it was worth it.  I did two "loops" along the Rock Creek Park trail from Veirs Mill Park all the way down to the National Zoo.  It's not a bad loop to do on the weekends because much of the roads are closed to cars on Saturday and Sunday.  I've only been training for triathlons prior to this, so the most I've ever biked is a little over 26 miles. Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased with myself, although the back half, and especially the last quarter, I was so slow...in fact, I'm sure runners could have passed me and I almost wept with joy when I finally got back to my car.

Maybe this will be me one day

I also tried to use my aero bars as much as possible, at least until the end, and I've realized how much practice I'm going to need with them before I can be any sort of efficient.  Additionally, while I was living in NYC last year, I was cycling the Central Park loop, and some very nice man told me to stop biking with my back so much.  Until he said that I'd never noticed how much I compensate for my legs with my back.  Since then I have really tried not to use my back muscles, but after using my aero bars for more than 2 seconds today, I realize that I have failed.  When in aero position you can really only use your leg muscles, which is good, but it is not I feeling I have ever really experienced prior to this ride....whoooooops.

Ah well, this ride showed me a lot of things 1. I need to actually use my legs when I bike (who would've thought?), and 2. I CAN bike over 25 miles without dying and 3. I need stock up on an Advil stash stat.