Back On The Saddle Again...

With just a little less than a week before my first tri and with last weekend's experience behind me, I wasted no time to get back on my bike. On Wednesday this week, I rode about 10 miles followed by about a mile running. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday... it was pool time.
This morning, I got up at the crack of dawn... well for me, on a Saturday it was the crack of dawn. Put on my gear, got my transition stuff ready for the run after the ride and off I went. I managed to ride a total of 17.5 miles on a course which I would rate, on a scale of 1-10 (1 being easy, 10 being tough), about an 8. An 8 because of the hills, one of which went from an elevation of 501 feet to 622 feet in .6 miles! Remember the story of the Little Engine that Could? Well, that was me when I first approached the hill and while I was going up the hill: "Yes, I can... Yes, I can.... Yes, I can" and when I reached the top: "I did, I did"!
The rest of the ride went smoothly, I average cadence was 70 rpm, well below the suggested 90-110, but well within my comfort zone. I stayed hydrated and life was good.
My transition time was exactly 58 seconds. For those of you not familiar with what a transition is, it's the time in between on event to the next. In a triathlon, there are two transitions; T1 and T2. T1 is the time between swim and bike, and T2 is the time between bike and run.
I drank plenty of water, changed my gear and off I went.
The first quarter mile, give or take a step or two, was pure hell on earth. Your body is trying to adjust from one event to the next. You've been on a bike for and hour and now you're asking you body to run! Just imagine! If there was ever a time when you begin to think "why am I doing this to myself", this would be the time. Again, that Little Engine came back: "I know I can, I know I can".
Once the adjustment period passed, it was all good. Not going to tell you that it didn't hurt, 'cause it did, but it was bearable, doable and well within my realm of ability. I was able to get 3.3 miles in. I was happy, very happy with that.
I am extremely excited about next week Saturday. It's off to the McMinnville City Triathlon. A new experience, which I'm looking forward to.