3 sports makes it a triathlon, right? (3/5/11)

Took my new ride: Ajax Telemon (a Specialized Allez Composite), out for its first longish ride, stopping here and there for other activities.


Leg One – Bike 15 Miles (Cambridge to Milton)

I left the apartment at 11 en route to the Blue Hills. Down Mass Ave and then down the Orange Line trail to Forest Hills. I then cut through Franklin Park and met up with Blue Hill Ave. I fought through the mayhem that is Mattapan Square out to the Blue Hills.

At the Observatory Road, I rode up and down Great Blue (.9 miles at an average grade of 10%). At the bottom I locked the bike and took to the road on foot.

Leg Two – Run 5.4 Miles (Observatory Road)

I ran up and down the Observatory Road three times – getting in a hill workout. People do this all the time, and I always mean to do it. Well now I have and, in the words of Drill Sergeant Saunders, “Oh, What a Rush!”

Leg Three – Bike 22 Miles (Milton to Newton)

I drank down a full bottle of water and ate a Cliff Bar. Then I hopped onto the bike and went up and down Observatory Road one more time.

Then down Blue Hill back to Mattapan and rode down Cummings Highway into Roslindale. I caught the Emerald Necklace trail in Forest Hills and rode through the Arboretum and past Jamaica Pond before catching the Esplanade trail at BU.

As I got past Harvard, the thaw started to cause real problems. One guy coming my way told me to cross to the Cambridge side of the river because the Boston side was “hell.” I did so only to find the tunnel at the Eliot Bridge ankle deep in snowmelt.

After a dangerous crossing of Elliot Street, I was on Greenough heading toward Watertown Sq. Fits and starts and dumbass not remembering where the gym was lead me to cycling up and down Watertown Street looking for the gym.

Leg Four – 2 hours of Basketball (Newton)

37 miles of cycling and 5½ running had an effect on my basketball. Jumping and running the floor were far more difficult with those miles on my legs. I still got my boards and a couple of blocks. Won one: lost one.

Leg Five – Bike 7 Miles (Newton to Cambridge)

Tired and into a head wind, I fought my way back down the River, across Elliot Street, stopping for the Harvard Band as they made their way to the Princeton Game and eventually to Central Square.

I was asleep by 9; woke up in the morning for my last long run – 22 miles.