Getting into the groove

After you've taken a long time off from working out it often takes quite a while to get back into the groove of things. I think after close to a month now I am getting there. Took a ride out of the neighborhood for the first time in months today (normally I do the .7 mile loop and just do laps and listen to music). Did 22 miles in right at a hour and a half, which is not too bad since I was by myself and the roads were still terrible. It is so hard to find a good place to ride around here without packing up the bike and driving somewhere, which cuts into your time. Lots of chip and seal and close quarters with cars and trucks, which keeps you from zoning out when riding but is really hard on the hands and the bike.
Had a chance to ride with a triathlon training team last night out at White Rock lake. Didn't think we were going to get the ride in, there were lots of storms around, but things cleared out just in time for the ride. I love riding around White Rock, smooth as glass, not a lot of hills, and you can go really fast if you want to. The tri team was a very interesting group. Triathlons sound like they would be a lot of fun and its something that I think I would like to get into, but I am not sure that I have the time do the training properly. When school starts back, I am going to have a full load of classes with over 150 students, and I'm teaching an extra class to do Academic Decathlon. So while last year was pretty smooth, this year is going to be extremely busy.
I might into this after Decathlon state competition is done in the spring. I could start up then and work toward a first tri in the summer. After teaching one class of AP Physics, two of preAP, and three of regular physics and coaching decathlon, I need something that doesn't require the mental focus. Or maybe its just a different kind of mental focus, but it would be nice to have a break from the heavy stuff to get out and relax if that makes sense. We'll see!