35.6 Miles

I've passed the first encounter with a Black Rider. Whew! And I really didn't think I'd make it, either.

Yes, I'm being serious. You see, I asked April (of The Fire) if it would be okay to do 2 20 minute sessions instead of one 30 minute session. And I asked about higher intensity. Essentially, this is how the session is supposed to go: {3 minutes regular speed then, *1 minute regular speed (about 15 mph), 1 minute fast (19-20 mph)*, repeating between the * * for 15 minutes, 2 minutes regular}. Hop off the bike, stretch for a minute, run to the kitchen and do next segment of dyeing for 20-30 minutes, repeat { }.

Only, my high-speed minutes were actually 24mph and my regular-speed was 16mph. Yes, it really does make that big of a difference. After the 3rd high-speed minute (about 9 minutes in), I thought my heart was going to bang right out of my chest and that my legs were going to turn to mush. My 4th high-speed session was only 20mph and no matter how hard I tried to get a little faster, my legs were not cooperating. I finished out the last  9 minutes at only 16mph. And still my legs were wobbly when I got off the bike. I think I'm better suited for a more steady pace... like wolves. Not fast sprints like cheetahs.

Still, I can do this. Luckily, I have friends who are cheering me on. I will post about the next 20 minutes later on.