Beaches Ride and Swim Class

Monday I had the day off and decided to join my friend Kevin and the headhunter tri club for their Beaches Ride. It started at Beaches restaurant in Vancouver and there was Kevin, Denise, Bob, and myself. We started out just ambling through downtown Vancouver to the road to Vancouver Lake and then kicked it up. Bob lead at first and we were cruising along at 23-24. Then Denise got in front and she slowly kept kicking it up and I hung onto her wheel and we came to the lake turn going 27. She slowed and we looked back and had lost Bob and Kevin. So I led at 19-20 until they got back on. Then when Bob led again and sped up, I fell off. Denise came back and I rode her wheel back on and then they slowly bumped it back to 22-23 and we stayed at that speed even though my turn to lead. At the turn around point by the Ridgefield Wildlife preserve, the Ironmen joined us. A bunch of guys training for Ironman Florida. so when we started out again the four of us were in the back and the ironmen took the paceline turns and we stayed in the back. Cruising along at 26 in a group of 11- it was like PIR racing. It was great paceline practice, I was able to stay really close and it made a huge difference wind wise. After about 3 miles with the ironmen, Kevin suddenly fell off. Since I had come with him I decided I should stay with him, so I fell back and joined him. As soon as I slowed down, I was suddenly tired. Denise came back and we did a three person paceline of 20-23 all the way back to town. Then really slow and relaxing through downtown back to Beaches where we went in for happy hour and had salads and Diet Pepsi.
Denise talked me into going to the LaCamas Swim and Sport club she part owns and doing her swimming class- so Wednesday morning (1200) I started total immersion swimming lessons. I'm not used to swings yet- just looked at the clock- I have to go to work.