Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Road Ride Longboat Key Sarasota

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Road Ride Longboat Key Sarasota

Spent the Night at Cuz Rick's home in Bradenton. Woke up to 58F and totally cloudy. Determined to ride today brought me out to the beach area of Sarasota, south end of Longboat Key. I choose to do a road ride as I have been ignoring my Road Bike for a few days now. I notice that everyone walking and riding are dressed in long sleeves, long pants, sweatshirts and Jackets. The temp reads 62F with a bit of wind and no sun. I figure that they know something and use a Endura Base Layer with a light jersey and Pearl shorts. I suit up, pack some food and liquids planing on about 40 miles. I had a collection of Clif bars, clif shots, and clif Mojo bars. Calc on about 200 cal intake per hour for a 3 hour ride. For liquids I use OJ mixed 50/50 with water, (fuctose sugar, and plenty of K+....i get enough na+ in the food products).
I start my ride and wait at the first light to cross and head up the Causeway to longboat key...the highest point in Sarasota at 100ft altitude. At the light another rider in full pants and jackets with his rear pockets stuffed full of stuff pulls up next to me. I greet him with a pleasent hello and I get a cold nod back. He is on a Specialized Bike and I guess he believes he is all that. The light turns green he takes off and starts to pound up the hill of the 100ft altitude causeway, I am warming up and just spinning behind him. He looks back and and jumps out of his saddle and takes off. I drop two gears and keep my spin up hanging on with out too much effort....it is only a 100ft vertical hill at a very moderate grade. He looks back and sees me on his tail.....what ever. At this point I start to feel warm and decide that the baselayer was just a stupid idea. I turn around and head back down to the van. Off it comes. I head out again.
It is a long straight ride up Longboat key with a head wind. Cool....the wind will be at my back all the way home. I spin away, enjoying the beach seen.
All the way up the beach, many riders of all kinds, beach crusiers, road bikes, and people just going to get groceries. The sun comes out and it turns into a great day. Up to the end, over a few causeways, turn around and head back.
I am trying to now enjoy the wind at my back but is seems to be coming at me from the side. Maybe it is just that area. Soon it is at my back and my speed goes up a few mph's. Then it is in my face again and my speed drops....then on the side.....at my back......then infront.....what the %#*%$#%^. Just keep pedaling.
The biggest difference from riding down here compared to up north is not having to climb hills. You would think that you get a break from them......well you do.....but the biggest thing is you do not get to go down them and STOP PEDALING. There is no rest period. After going up a hill you get to coast down it and rest the legs. Down here in the flats........you get no rest. Take a look at the garmin cadence graph. I think I counted 12 times in 45 miles that I stopped pedaling.....and tose were from traffic stops......12 times......and the rest was not that long.
Well I have to say this was a great ride.
Monday will be rest day as the entire state of Fla will be rained on.
Traveling back to Moms in Jupiter.