[FitnessPhotos]

I took my new setup out for its first ride yesterday; seems I should have left a bit earlier (I'm not much of a morning person). I hit the trail about 9:30am and it was already in the mid-80s and it only got worse from there.

During my ride, the temp on my computer showed from 83 degrees in the shade to 104 degrees on the blacktop in the sun. It was brutal. My heart rate was through the roof most of the time - I even registered 180bpm, which is 3 beats higher than I've ever registered on anything! My "average" was right at my last AT measurement, although I am sure it has improved since then (I averaged 153 on the ride).

Overall I really enjoyed my new setup, although I need to work on my seat height, it was too low which slowed me down (along with the heat). I ran about 1.5 mph slower than my last ride, although I managed to go for 50 miles. From mile 40 to mile 50 I thought I was going to pass out - I drank two bottles of water and still felt dehydrated. I finished off the ride with a nice big mix of protein/bccas and water which helped.

Alot of new gear on my bike - the shoes and cleats were much nicer (and cooler), I couldn't really get a feel for the aero-bars (again, a seat issue, I think) and the bike definfately "felt" lighter.

I'm going to work on the seat setup and hopefully after my first ride (and maybe leaving a little earlier), my next one will be much better.