the simanek six: the 30/5 brick

today was my first true outdoor brick workout. i went out for a 30 mile bike ride followed by a quick transition in my garage and then headed back out on the trails for a 5 mile run. here's what happened.

- those retractable dog leashes are hard to see. i came up on a woman standing on one side of the path looking across to my side. only when i was about 20 feet away (and at 25mph) did i see the leash in her hand. when she finally sees me she holds it up so i can get under it. um...thanks, but you're all of 5 feet tall and even laying flat on my handlebars, i'm still 5'6. i ended up skidding out my rear tire and ditching into the grass to avoid a big mess involving spokes and black lab pieces.
- dump trucks are scary. very scary. i was out on a sparsely populated road cruising along when a one of these steel behemoths turns into me. i look up at this guy's grill and think "oh shit...i'm not going to get thrown over the top...". i got on my brakes and braced for the impact. somehow, the driver saw me at the last minute, hit his brakes and turned just enough so that i slid right by his bumper. i almost wet myself.
- cyclists look out for each other. i got a bit lost during my ride today and some random guy in a G35 watched me as i turned around. he stops, backs up, rolls down his window and asks me where i'm trying to get to. i tell him and he explains that he rides too and tells me which roads in the area to avoid and how best to get where i need to go.
- clif shot bloks are amazing!! i used to be a big proponent of power gel and gu, but after trying these things, i'll never go back. for any sort of distance cycling or running, you can bet that i'll be carrying these.
- chasing semi's is fun. i enjoy chasing traffic. it burns like crazy but feels really good when you're doing the same speed as a car. even better is using a semi. the hole they leave in the air is so huge you can be 15 feet back from them and still use the draft. you also get some pretty priceless looks from car drivers when you blow through an intersection at 35mph. next time i'll wear the elvis sunglasses and really entertain the shit out of myself.
- i'll take my time making up route sheet next time. i got lost twice today and what was supposed to be a 30/5 brick, ended up being a 32/6. it may not seem like a big difference but you tell that to my legs. they feel like pudding...jello brand, bill cosby pudding.