A longer bike ride

The bike rides are getting longer.  It was a wet and windy Friday night, I wasn't sure if I would get out without being drowned with the wind and the rain.  By the time I left home at 8.45am the rain had stopped with light winds and it looked as if the sun would come out.  I did put on the waterproof top to start with as I wasn't convinced.
First stop the Commmunity Centre to see who was there - a small group today, 5 of us so perhaps the weather had put people off - Jamie, Stuart, Caroline and Parky - Andrey phone about 30 minutes after the start and was surprised we were riding given the weather.  I already knew it was the Harold loop, so about 43miles, longer than my training plan!  The effects of the overnight rain were clear with the large puddles and fast flowing brooks and rivers for all to see.  I quickly settled into the ride, the river Great Ouse hadn't burst its banks and blocked the road so no diversions this time.
The ride from home to home was 49.81 miles in 3hrs 33' 37".  My average cadence was 88rpm.  The target today was to spend more than 50% of the time in HR zone 2 which I achieved with 61% of the time, 2hrs 6', the downside was that I also spend 53' in zone 3 when I shouldn't have gone above zone 2.  Never mind the overall average HR was 122bpm which is inside zone 2.  A good ride overall, longer than planned, likely to affect my run at the Bedford XC on Sunday unless of course it is flooded off.
Once I got home it was time for a post bike ride conditioning run for 30 minutes - slow transition when it is your home and not some field.  A quick change, shorts now as the sun was out.  This was supposed to be an easy run in zone 1, as it turned out the first part was in zone 2, I just couldn't get the HR down without stopping, possibly the effect of the bike ride, the running itself felt easy with the legs feeling good.  After a few minutes the HR dropped mostly into zone 1, my average HR was 125bpm the top of zone 1.  I ran for 30'06", covered 2.87 miles at 10'30" mile pace.  The run around Pineham is not exciting but at least I do know where I can put that little bit of effort in and where I need to relax and it is just about the right length.

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