I've been a triathlete in training for several months now, but I've never actually submitted myself to doing a brick (bike + run) workout just yet. And, technically, I still haven't. But I'm getting closer.
Today I HAD to take advantage of the beautiful weather. It was a requirement that was written in the stars. I absolutely had to be outside today. Since I just ran on Saturday, the only option was biking. So I hit the bike for 10 miles. Not so much as a peep from my knee; there hasn't been much noise from it lately!
But that wasn't all on the agenda today. I also wanted to get in some water running before class so I headed to the pool with my chlorinated Mizuno's and got to work. So, lets call it a "bwick"!
Judging from the time and his pace, I'm pretty sure I was doing the water running while Bill was tackling the Newton Hills in Boston; I sent him some good thoughts. Once again, not so much as a peep from my knee even after 30 minutes of water running. Right on!
Clock check.
Fifty minutes til class. I'm not tired. I'm in the pool. Conclusion? It's swimming time.
I started swimming, then decided I was feeling good and did 8x50 on a one minute interval (for non swimmers: that means one minute to both swim the 50 and rest). The interval was 5 seconds faster than I did a couple weeks ago, so I'm seeing some improvement. Right on (again)!
All is good in my world for now, even with it being dead week. I get my Garmin back tomorrow. My next run is scheduled for Wednesday; planning 1.5 miles at an easy pace. Will push it to 2 miles this weekend if all goes well.
Showing posts with label Biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biking. Show all posts
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Pooped
No, Jess. I didn't join your team. (Yeah, I went there!)
But I am pooped after a tough night of workouts. Toughest in a while, but you all know thats how I really enjoy it.
Here's the play by play:
At 6:00 I got out to the YMCA we meet at to ride. The weather was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Mid 70's. Not a cloud in the sky. A little windy, but nothing to outweigh the perfect weather. I rode 12 miles, practicing a lot with riding with one hand so I can eventually learn to drink while riding. It's a slow process, but I'm making progress! It took every bit of self control I had not to stay out there twice as long.
After that, TNT headed to the pool. Nothing too notable there, but I'm still a bit sore from that mile on Monday. That really kicked me in the butt! I ended up swimming half a mile and stopping because...
It was time to water run! I actually had company this time, which was nice. Another TNT'er, Susan, has a knee injury (skiing accident) and is water running to help build it back up. That lasted about 30 minutes before we called it a night.
All in all that was 2+ hours of working out and although I would have laughed at that a couple months ago, after these past several weeks thats just unheard of!
Hope everybody else is getting to enjoy some great weather! Good luck to Bill, Nitmos & Reid running Boston on Monday, you're gonna ROCK IT!
But I am pooped after a tough night of workouts. Toughest in a while, but you all know thats how I really enjoy it.
Here's the play by play:
At 6:00 I got out to the YMCA we meet at to ride. The weather was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Mid 70's. Not a cloud in the sky. A little windy, but nothing to outweigh the perfect weather. I rode 12 miles, practicing a lot with riding with one hand so I can eventually learn to drink while riding. It's a slow process, but I'm making progress! It took every bit of self control I had not to stay out there twice as long.
After that, TNT headed to the pool. Nothing too notable there, but I'm still a bit sore from that mile on Monday. That really kicked me in the butt! I ended up swimming half a mile and stopping because...
It was time to water run! I actually had company this time, which was nice. Another TNT'er, Susan, has a knee injury (skiing accident) and is water running to help build it back up. That lasted about 30 minutes before we called it a night.
All in all that was 2+ hours of working out and although I would have laughed at that a couple months ago, after these past several weeks thats just unheard of!
Hope everybody else is getting to enjoy some great weather! Good luck to Bill, Nitmos & Reid running Boston on Monday, you're gonna ROCK IT!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Keeping my yap shut!
Today I got out on the bike again for 10 miles. Damn does it feel good to move! Maybe even too good, judging from the numbers I saw early in my workout.
Yesterday I posted all about keeping it under control. Reigning it in. Stop pushing so hard and spend the next several months staying aerobic. Today at the start of my workout, I caught myself doing the exact opposite just because it felt good. My heart rate was constantly pushing 160 and approached 170 into the wind or going up hills.
I was pushing too hard already. Begging for a relapse a day after setting my goals!
I started watching my heart rate meticulously to try and keep it under control, trying to make an effort to use less effort. No matter what, though, just trying to try less wasn't working for me.
Then, I figured it out. It was simple. I gotta keep my yap shut!
By just breathing through my nose, my legs don't have enough oxygen to push too hard. My heart rate immediately fell to 150 and stayed there. Whenever it got back up towards 160, I couldn't sustain the effort while breathing through my nose.
So, theres the trick to me staying aerobic, and healthy. I don't need a heart rate monitor to tell me. I don't need numbers. As long as I know how to listen, my body can tell me exactly when I'm in the right zone.
Post ride my knee is feeling good. I even jogged across the parking lot at the YMCA and it felt healthy. So long as I'm patient and can keep my yap shut during workouts for the next couple months, I might just be able to build back up injury free!
Image: Chanimal.com
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Ma Nature's Feeling Fiesty
I've been watching the forecast for today the past couple days. They've been calling for 50-60 degrees in the morning, and kept changing their mind when it was going to rain. I woke up this morning and it was about 55 degrees and sunny. Perfect, right?
Almost.
The only exception? The wind. My God the wind. I've ridden in wind before, some rides around 15-20 mph gusts and they were rough. They pushed me forward on the way out, and pushed my limits on the way back.
Today the winds were sustained at 23 MPH with gusts around 35 straight out of the south. I'll be honest, the thought of hitting the trainer crossed my mind... for about a second. The competition doesn't care of it's windy. And if they do? Well then, I just got a step ahead.
On the way out, there were flat stretches (not downhills) where I was pushing 30 MPH with the wind at my back, it was great. I felt pro, even though I knew it was only because of the wind at my back. Going east and west was probably the most dangerous, since the gusts were making it fairly difficult to control the bike, but I managed to keep control.
Going south was brutal. I was sitting in my granny gear for the majority of that stretch, working like hell just to go 10-12 MPH. Much less dangerous, though, since the gusts weren't threatening to throw me off the road or into traffic.
Finally, I got back to the school. And kept riding. Screw you, Ma Nature, I'm not done with you yet. Time to put you in your place for another 10 miles.
More of the same on the second lap. But I finally finished and really felt like I had accomplished something. Here's the numbers:
Time: 1:51:12
Distance: 31.01 miles
Speed: 16.7 mph
Cadence: 94 rpm
HR: 153 bpm
I'll leave you with this:
Why Do You Run [or Ride]?
Because you're wondering if your grandchildren will too.
Because its raining.
Because you can, and others can't.
Because its faster than walking.
Because that shaky-leg-thing is all about nervous energy.
Because you can't fly.
Because you can fly.
Because your personal best is just that, yours.
Because the pain of a blister is nothing compared to the pain of stopping.
Because you like the resistance the wind gives you.
Because you like the resistance you give the wind.
Just Because.
-NYC Marathon Ad
Almost.
The only exception? The wind. My God the wind. I've ridden in wind before, some rides around 15-20 mph gusts and they were rough. They pushed me forward on the way out, and pushed my limits on the way back.
Today the winds were sustained at 23 MPH with gusts around 35 straight out of the south. I'll be honest, the thought of hitting the trainer crossed my mind... for about a second. The competition doesn't care of it's windy. And if they do? Well then, I just got a step ahead.
On the way out, there were flat stretches (not downhills) where I was pushing 30 MPH with the wind at my back, it was great. I felt pro, even though I knew it was only because of the wind at my back. Going east and west was probably the most dangerous, since the gusts were making it fairly difficult to control the bike, but I managed to keep control.
Going south was brutal. I was sitting in my granny gear for the majority of that stretch, working like hell just to go 10-12 MPH. Much less dangerous, though, since the gusts weren't threatening to throw me off the road or into traffic.
Finally, I got back to the school. And kept riding. Screw you, Ma Nature, I'm not done with you yet. Time to put you in your place for another 10 miles.
More of the same on the second lap. But I finally finished and really felt like I had accomplished something. Here's the numbers:
Time: 1:51:12
Distance: 31.01 miles
Speed: 16.7 mph
Cadence: 94 rpm
HR: 153 bpm
I'll leave you with this:
Why Do You Run [or Ride]?
Because you're wondering if your grandchildren will too.
Because its raining.
Because you can, and others can't.
Because its faster than walking.
Because that shaky-leg-thing is all about nervous energy.
Because you can't fly.
Because you can fly.
Because your personal best is just that, yours.
Because the pain of a blister is nothing compared to the pain of stopping.
Because you like the resistance the wind gives you.
Because you like the resistance you give the wind.
Just Because.
-NYC Marathon Ad
Monday, February 25, 2008
Conquering my Fears, Pushing my Limits
This morning my alarm decided to go off right in the middle of a REM cycle. The result? I woke up feeling groggy and slow. I checked the weather, since yesterday it was forecast to be about 40 degrees and sunny. Not so much. Try 31 degrees and cloudy. Now, normally I draw the line at 35 degrees for riding outside, but I decided to suck it up. What's four degrees?
I was loading the bike up on my car to head out to the country to ride, when a prissy looking sorority girl walked by me. She gave me a look that distinctly said "Oh my god, don't you know its totally like the arctic out here like?!"
Once I got out there, the ride started out like any other. The game plan was 21 miles, as usual. I had a strong focus on cadence, I worked a little bit on riding with one hand to learn better balance to make nutrition easier, I tried to keep my heart rate below 160. You know, the usual stuff.
Right when I was finishing up, though, something happened. The parking lot was to my left, but there was all this road ahead of me.
Forget it. I'm not done yet. Not today. I have unfinished business out here today. I have fears to conquer. I have limits to beat into the ground. I'm not turning in yet.
That decision was huge. Why? Let's recall the last time I rode 30+ miles. I bonked. Hard. At points I was debating calling someone to give me directions back to town, because my group had dropped me ages ago. After somehow finishing, I was demolished for the rest of the weekend. My legs were dead, my ass hurt like nobody's ass should ever hurt, my energy was completely drained miles before I even finished that ride.
I've had every reason to fear the distance. It left me raw and exposed to the elements, and left my limits laying all over the road. I knew the moment I decided to keep going, I might be in for the exact same mess all over again.
I was ready for it.
It never happened. I stayed strong the entire time. Not once did I feel like I was in over my head. Not once did I consider stopping.
Afterwards, my legs feel fine. My ass doesn't hurt. I've been completely functional all day; it had no effect whatsoever on my energy level. If this isn't progress, I don't know what is.
Here are the numbers for the day:
Distance: 30.99 miles
Time: 1:49:29
Speed: 17.0 MPH
Cadence: 96 rpm
HR: 157 bpm
Garmin Data
It's good to be back to my healthy self.
I was loading the bike up on my car to head out to the country to ride, when a prissy looking sorority girl walked by me. She gave me a look that distinctly said "Oh my god, don't you know its totally like the arctic out here like?!"
Once I got out there, the ride started out like any other. The game plan was 21 miles, as usual. I had a strong focus on cadence, I worked a little bit on riding with one hand to learn better balance to make nutrition easier, I tried to keep my heart rate below 160. You know, the usual stuff.
Right when I was finishing up, though, something happened. The parking lot was to my left, but there was all this road ahead of me.
Forget it. I'm not done yet. Not today. I have unfinished business out here today. I have fears to conquer. I have limits to beat into the ground. I'm not turning in yet.
That decision was huge. Why? Let's recall the last time I rode 30+ miles. I bonked. Hard. At points I was debating calling someone to give me directions back to town, because my group had dropped me ages ago. After somehow finishing, I was demolished for the rest of the weekend. My legs were dead, my ass hurt like nobody's ass should ever hurt, my energy was completely drained miles before I even finished that ride.
I've had every reason to fear the distance. It left me raw and exposed to the elements, and left my limits laying all over the road. I knew the moment I decided to keep going, I might be in for the exact same mess all over again.
I was ready for it.
It never happened. I stayed strong the entire time. Not once did I feel like I was in over my head. Not once did I consider stopping.
Afterwards, my legs feel fine. My ass doesn't hurt. I've been completely functional all day; it had no effect whatsoever on my energy level. If this isn't progress, I don't know what is.
Here are the numbers for the day:
Distance: 30.99 miles
Time: 1:49:29
Speed: 17.0 MPH
Cadence: 96 rpm
HR: 157 bpm
Garmin Data
It's good to be back to my healthy self.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Staying Positive & Nutrition
Its amazing what 10 hours of sleep can do! I'm feeling quite a bit better today, although I still have a lingering headache, and I usually never get headaches. Hopefully it goes away sometime soon.
Last night I left out anything positive in my post, because, well, I was grouchy. So now, let me tell you about my ride that came before my hideous swim!
As usual on Thursday, TNT does a back to back bike-swim workout. It can really kick you in the face if you're not careful (I suppose I wasn't)! The ride (although on trainers) was outstanding. I was just in the zone. Jimbo, the guy leading the spin class, is a very experienced cyclist. I don't think theres many people who can keep up with this guy. He's full of tips that really, really pay off.
Last week he told us to take some time to spin with just one foot on the trainer, just to see where our 'dead spots' are. I started my workout this way so I knew what aspect of my spinning to focus on. It helped a lot. Then he told me to stay 'light on my feet.' Again, it helped me out big time. Another tip: 'drive your knees towards the handlebars,' again, my pedaling got smoother.
Towards the end I was pushing a cadence of 110 while staying completely smooth. A few people even commented on it, including Jimbo and my friend George who has completed several Ironmans. I'm hoping these skills will carry out onto the road when it really matters!
On a completely different note, I'm getting ready to send out letters & donation forms for Team in Training. Nancy, Bill, & Nic are already on my list. Does anybody else want to join the cool gang that gets letters? If you do, send me an email: TheRelentlessRunner at gmail dot com
Thanks everyone for your encouraging words last night and this morning! It definitely helped kick my funk!
Update: Rather than making a new post and continuing my posting frenzy, I thought I'd just append some nutrition stuff.
Friday is my shopping today, which means its my day to decide on new foods to add to my diet! From last week, I'm liking everything new I mixed in: raisins, tuna, eggs, and almonds. This week I went all out on new foods. Here's the list:
Last night I left out anything positive in my post, because, well, I was grouchy. So now, let me tell you about my ride that came before my hideous swim!
As usual on Thursday, TNT does a back to back bike-swim workout. It can really kick you in the face if you're not careful (I suppose I wasn't)! The ride (although on trainers) was outstanding. I was just in the zone. Jimbo, the guy leading the spin class, is a very experienced cyclist. I don't think theres many people who can keep up with this guy. He's full of tips that really, really pay off.
Last week he told us to take some time to spin with just one foot on the trainer, just to see where our 'dead spots' are. I started my workout this way so I knew what aspect of my spinning to focus on. It helped a lot. Then he told me to stay 'light on my feet.' Again, it helped me out big time. Another tip: 'drive your knees towards the handlebars,' again, my pedaling got smoother.
Towards the end I was pushing a cadence of 110 while staying completely smooth. A few people even commented on it, including Jimbo and my friend George who has completed several Ironmans. I'm hoping these skills will carry out onto the road when it really matters!
On a completely different note, I'm getting ready to send out letters & donation forms for Team in Training. Nancy, Bill, & Nic are already on my list. Does anybody else want to join the cool gang that gets letters? If you do, send me an email: TheRelentlessRunner at gmail dot com
Thanks everyone for your encouraging words last night and this morning! It definitely helped kick my funk!
Update: Rather than making a new post and continuing my posting frenzy, I thought I'd just append some nutrition stuff.
Friday is my shopping today, which means its my day to decide on new foods to add to my diet! From last week, I'm liking everything new I mixed in: raisins, tuna, eggs, and almonds. This week I went all out on new foods. Here's the list:
- Plain Yogurt
- Luna bars - Chuck has been talking about these lately. They're completely natural health bars. I noticed after I got home that they say "for women," but I ate one and everything is still in tact. Nothing new has sprouted either.
- Apples - I ate apples a lot last year, but I got a few bad batches in a row and stopped. Time to start again.
- Carrots - Needed veggies of some sort, I'm not a huge fan of carrots but I should be able to acquire a taste for them
- Real chicken breasts - As opposed to the pre-cooked crap I was getting before
- Taco stuff - Had to look everywhere to find tortillas without hydrogenated crap in them
- Organic eggs - Suggested by someone, thought I'd give them a shot. They're brown.
- Peanut butter and Jelly - Picked up some without high fructose corn syrup, that stuff is Satan's spawn. It's everywhere.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Progress Across the Board!
Yeah, thats right! I used an exclamation point in the subject line, you know you're in for it today!
These past few days have spelled progress in all three sports. All of them! Remember the Driven post I had a few days ago? Yeah, the engine is going full steam! Here's the breakdown:
Swimming
Thursday night we did a bike-swim session with TNT. I rode my ass off on the trainer for about an hour, then headed straight for the pool (don't worry, I rinsed off!). I got in. It was just another day. Then my coach said five extremely obvious words that completely made things click: "relax your arms on recovery." Duh. Perfectly obvious, right?
Relax when you recover, so you can recover. As soon as I started doing this, it knocked my stroke count down to 14-15 per lap, even when I was swimming hard! The real kicker? Swimming got a lot easier. Its amazing how 5 words can change your life!
Running
This morning I headed out to Todd's Road to run with everybody. Once again, a new post-injury milestone: 8 miles, 100% pain free. I finished feeling completely fresh. I could have kept going, easily! However, I'm increasing nice and steady just to make sure I don't have a relapse, or cause some new injury. This was also my first run that lasted more than an hour (barely). Here's the numbers for today's run:
8:22
8:02
7:57
7:24
7:27
7:12
6:57
6:57
Avg HR: 163
Garmin data
Biking
I also had a new high average speed for biking! The kicker? I did it just a few hours after an 8 mile run. I set out with the intention of just riding really easy. The result? I paced myself better because I was focusing on high cadence rather than high speed! The wind was killer on the way back in, too, but I managed! Here's the stats:
Time: 1:12:24
Distance: 21.23 miles
Speed: 17.6 mph
Cadence: 93 rpm
HR: 160 bpm
Garmin Data
Needless to say. I'm revved up. Progress feeds the engine, right?
These past few days have spelled progress in all three sports. All of them! Remember the Driven post I had a few days ago? Yeah, the engine is going full steam! Here's the breakdown:
Swimming
Thursday night we did a bike-swim session with TNT. I rode my ass off on the trainer for about an hour, then headed straight for the pool (don't worry, I rinsed off!). I got in. It was just another day. Then my coach said five extremely obvious words that completely made things click: "relax your arms on recovery." Duh. Perfectly obvious, right?
Relax when you recover, so you can recover. As soon as I started doing this, it knocked my stroke count down to 14-15 per lap, even when I was swimming hard! The real kicker? Swimming got a lot easier. Its amazing how 5 words can change your life!
Running
This morning I headed out to Todd's Road to run with everybody. Once again, a new post-injury milestone: 8 miles, 100% pain free. I finished feeling completely fresh. I could have kept going, easily! However, I'm increasing nice and steady just to make sure I don't have a relapse, or cause some new injury. This was also my first run that lasted more than an hour (barely). Here's the numbers for today's run:
8:22
8:02
7:57
7:24
7:27
7:12
6:57
6:57
Avg HR: 163
Garmin data
Biking
I also had a new high average speed for biking! The kicker? I did it just a few hours after an 8 mile run. I set out with the intention of just riding really easy. The result? I paced myself better because I was focusing on high cadence rather than high speed! The wind was killer on the way back in, too, but I managed! Here's the stats:
Time: 1:12:24
Distance: 21.23 miles
Speed: 17.6 mph
Cadence: 93 rpm
HR: 160 bpm
Garmin Data
Needless to say. I'm revved up. Progress feeds the engine, right?
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Thaw
Ahhh, finally! The weather is warming up!
These past few weeks have been rather cold, cold enough to keep me indoors on the bike, at least. Although it doesn't take THAT much, since I can't afford all the winter gear for biking (like the windproof shoe covers that cost nearly $100). Regardless, I finally made it out on the bike today. Out as in outside. As in not inside. It was amazing.
Looking at the forecast, this shouldn't just be a one time thing, either! We're looking at mid 40's for at least the next week. The only bummer is that the official TNT bike practices are going to be group sessions on trainers until it really warms up, but I'll at least be able to get outside twice a week on the bike.
Today's ride was great; I had a new high average speed for my 21 mile route, and also started to get the hang of riding one handed. The one handed thing is a big step for me, since currently my balance is atrocious if I remove my hands from the bike; something I need to learn so I can eat and drink without stopping! Here's the stats for today:
Time: 1:13:39
Distance: 21.23 miles
Speed: 17.3 mph
Cadence: 92 rpm
HR: 160 bpm
It's obvious the stationary bike and real biking don't even come close to comparing. I know wind resistance and hills play a roll, but there still has to be some additional error on the stationary bike, because thats a huge difference from the 27 MPH I clocked a week ago!
Tomorrow is my second tempo run for the year, and its supposed to rain. You know I love running fast. And I love running in the rain. Tomorrow is going to be good.
These past few weeks have been rather cold, cold enough to keep me indoors on the bike, at least. Although it doesn't take THAT much, since I can't afford all the winter gear for biking (like the windproof shoe covers that cost nearly $100). Regardless, I finally made it out on the bike today. Out as in outside. As in not inside. It was amazing.
Looking at the forecast, this shouldn't just be a one time thing, either! We're looking at mid 40's for at least the next week. The only bummer is that the official TNT bike practices are going to be group sessions on trainers until it really warms up, but I'll at least be able to get outside twice a week on the bike.
Today's ride was great; I had a new high average speed for my 21 mile route, and also started to get the hang of riding one handed. The one handed thing is a big step for me, since currently my balance is atrocious if I remove my hands from the bike; something I need to learn so I can eat and drink without stopping! Here's the stats for today:
Time: 1:13:39
Distance: 21.23 miles
Speed: 17.3 mph
Cadence: 92 rpm
HR: 160 bpm
It's obvious the stationary bike and real biking don't even come close to comparing. I know wind resistance and hills play a roll, but there still has to be some additional error on the stationary bike, because thats a huge difference from the 27 MPH I clocked a week ago!
Tomorrow is my second tempo run for the year, and its supposed to rain. You know I love running fast. And I love running in the rain. Tomorrow is going to be good.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Complete Randomness
Today is another day with no coherent theme. It happens.
Distance: 17.06 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Speed: 22.67 MPH
Average HR: 148 bpm
I'm wishing bike trainers weren't so expensive ($200 or so, I think). I'd much rather ride my own bike for my indoor workouts, plus I can trust the distance part of it, because Garmin calibrates it on my outdoor rides so it also works indoors. I have a feeling these numbers from the stationary bike don't mean anything compared to outdoor numbers, but they are at least meaningful when compared to other distances on the stationary bike.
Marcy - I'm feeling just fine "down there," the seat on the stationary bike is like a lazy boy compared to the seat on my usual bike! Also, thanks big time for the encouraging words about TNT! I'll find out more at the meeting on Saturday, but you have it about right. Raise X amount of money while training for the race, then do the race. I'll post more details when I get them on Saturday!
Nancy - Thanks for the words of caution. I've thought about it quite a bit, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it right? I feel like I know a lot of people all over the place, even outside blog land. Also, my family is quite large, has had quite a few run ins with cancer, and is generally rather generous. Although I do see myself having two disadvantages. First, I don't know anybody closely with Leukemia, so I don't have a great story to get emotions going. Second, with me most people won't think "wow! I can't believe Doug is doing a triathlon!" so they may not think its that impressive.
Jess - You do realize you, a college professor, just (jokingly) asked me, a college student, for money, right? Just wanted to make sure! ;)
Taryn and POM - Thanks for the good words about TNT! So far, I haven't heard of a single person having a poor experience with them. I don't know about you guys, but I'm all about meeting "cool peeps" as POM so accurately put it!
- Swimming last night was phenomenal. I think something clicked. For you experienced swimmers, it'll sound like no big thing. For the past week or so, I've been able to swim 25 yards, then usually take a break to catch my breath, and I could occasionally swim 50 yards, but the thought of 75 made me feel like I would vomit in the pool (I hear they don't like that). Last night, however, 25 felt trivial, 50 was doable, and 75 was challenging. But hey, its progress right?!
- I need to post about running basics for Amy & Tom but haven't come up with anything yet, hopefully I come up with something tomorrow!
- Last night I called home all excited to see what my parents thought about the Team in Training shin dig. They sounded kind of put off by the idea, which surprised me since my dad is in the medical profession. They're supportive of it if I decide to do it, but were by no means saying "All right! Great idea!" etc.
- I did better than average on my entry exam for my CS505 class, without taking the prerequisites. Americans represent! (There are 3 Americans out of about 40 students in this class)
- Tomorrow I'm attempting to wake up to run with some friends at 5:30am. Why did I agree to something like that? Something is wrong with my brain. The sun doesn't even come up until 7:30!
Distance: 17.06 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Speed: 22.67 MPH
Average HR: 148 bpm
I'm wishing bike trainers weren't so expensive ($200 or so, I think). I'd much rather ride my own bike for my indoor workouts, plus I can trust the distance part of it, because Garmin calibrates it on my outdoor rides so it also works indoors. I have a feeling these numbers from the stationary bike don't mean anything compared to outdoor numbers, but they are at least meaningful when compared to other distances on the stationary bike.
Marcy - I'm feeling just fine "down there," the seat on the stationary bike is like a lazy boy compared to the seat on my usual bike! Also, thanks big time for the encouraging words about TNT! I'll find out more at the meeting on Saturday, but you have it about right. Raise X amount of money while training for the race, then do the race. I'll post more details when I get them on Saturday!
Nancy - Thanks for the words of caution. I've thought about it quite a bit, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it right? I feel like I know a lot of people all over the place, even outside blog land. Also, my family is quite large, has had quite a few run ins with cancer, and is generally rather generous. Although I do see myself having two disadvantages. First, I don't know anybody closely with Leukemia, so I don't have a great story to get emotions going. Second, with me most people won't think "wow! I can't believe Doug is doing a triathlon!" so they may not think its that impressive.
Jess - You do realize you, a college professor, just (jokingly) asked me, a college student, for money, right? Just wanted to make sure! ;)
Taryn and POM - Thanks for the good words about TNT! So far, I haven't heard of a single person having a poor experience with them. I don't know about you guys, but I'm all about meeting "cool peeps" as POM so accurately put it!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Bunch of Arrogant Exercisers!
Yup. Thats exactly what we are.
Last week a group I run with, Todd's Road Stumblers, was brought up in a complaint letter to the sheriff of the county we run in. Someone brought in a copy of the letter today, both to inform people and to poke a little fun at. Why poke fun at such a serious situation?
Because of the style of writing. It was perfectly obvious the author had a lot of bottled up rage and was trying his hardest to keep it there, but couldn't quite do it! About halfway through he slipped by calling us "a bunch of arrogant exercisers going around like the own the road!" (not an exact quote, but the 'bunch of arrogant exercisers' comes straight out of his letter)
From what I hear, we get about two of these every year and nothing ever happens. It is usually someone who wants to drive 70 MPH around a blind turn and could probably use a couple miles out there with us.
For example, last year there was a report that "hundreds of people were out running well before dawn with flashlights, trying to blind the drivers!" What were they talking about? Yeah, Judy and Mark (count 'em: one, two) were out on a long run to beat the summer heat and brought flashlights for their own safety.
When we get a complaint the sheriff always comes out to make sure we're following the rules of the road, which we do. In fact, we have them posted on a rather large poster inside the clubhouse, and always remind new members to look at them; we know who wins in a car-runner collision!
This morning the sheriff drove past me four separate times during my 7 miler; each time I hugged the shoulder as tight as possible, smiled, and waved (with all five fingers). It is a good thing, really, to make sure everybody does get through their runs safely. Maybe a few people trying to fly through the blind turns will take heed too!
Thats all I got about that. Here's this arrogant exercises numbers for the day:
Run:
7:53
7:45
7:28
7:13
7:20
7:24
7:15
(and change)
Pace: 7:28
HR: 163 bpm
Then I came back, ate some food, cleaned up, took an hour nap, and then jumped on the stationary bike:
Time: 1:00:00
Distance: 25.42
Speed: Oh come on, I biked exactly an hour. I don't have to tell you this do I?
HR: 152 bpm
All in all a great day. I felt really strong through everything. It was great to talk to everybody from TRS again; I caught a few people I missed last week! Its good to be back!
Last week a group I run with, Todd's Road Stumblers, was brought up in a complaint letter to the sheriff of the county we run in. Someone brought in a copy of the letter today, both to inform people and to poke a little fun at. Why poke fun at such a serious situation?
Because of the style of writing. It was perfectly obvious the author had a lot of bottled up rage and was trying his hardest to keep it there, but couldn't quite do it! About halfway through he slipped by calling us "a bunch of arrogant exercisers going around like the own the road!" (not an exact quote, but the 'bunch of arrogant exercisers' comes straight out of his letter)
From what I hear, we get about two of these every year and nothing ever happens. It is usually someone who wants to drive 70 MPH around a blind turn and could probably use a couple miles out there with us.
For example, last year there was a report that "hundreds of people were out running well before dawn with flashlights, trying to blind the drivers!" What were they talking about? Yeah, Judy and Mark (count 'em: one, two) were out on a long run to beat the summer heat and brought flashlights for their own safety.
When we get a complaint the sheriff always comes out to make sure we're following the rules of the road, which we do. In fact, we have them posted on a rather large poster inside the clubhouse, and always remind new members to look at them; we know who wins in a car-runner collision!
This morning the sheriff drove past me four separate times during my 7 miler; each time I hugged the shoulder as tight as possible, smiled, and waved (with all five fingers). It is a good thing, really, to make sure everybody does get through their runs safely. Maybe a few people trying to fly through the blind turns will take heed too!
Thats all I got about that. Here's this arrogant exercises numbers for the day:
Run:
7:53
7:45
7:28
7:13
7:20
7:24
7:15
(and change)
Pace: 7:28
HR: 163 bpm
Then I came back, ate some food, cleaned up, took an hour nap, and then jumped on the stationary bike:
Time: 1:00:00
Distance: 25.42
Speed: Oh come on, I biked exactly an hour. I don't have to tell you this do I?
HR: 152 bpm
All in all a great day. I felt really strong through everything. It was great to talk to everybody from TRS again; I caught a few people I missed last week! Its good to be back!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Productive Saturday
Unlike most Saturdays, this one turned out being crazy productive. I'll save you the BAM!'s, but I got a ton of stuff done both with working out and school.
My alarm went off at 6am. I swore at it, but managed to crawl out of bed without hitting snooze. After the morning routine, and scraping ice off my car, I was en route to Todd's Road to meet up for a run; my first group run in four months!
Surprisingly, at 7am on a Saturday morning on a day with below freezing temps and really thick fog, around 40 people showed up to run at Todd's Road! I got to catch up with some old friends and put in six miles or so at a pretty good clip. Since nobody at my pace was running the six mile loop, I just ran 3 out with Jim, and 3 back on my own. Here's the splits:
8:13
7:41
7:33
6:56 (Later Jim!)
6:58
7:00
0:26 (0.07 miles)
Average pace: 7:23
Average heart rate: 167
Garmin data
This run had me worried about my hip. Last night after stretching, there was a little pain in my hip on occasion, but it didn't hurt to run or walk 99% of the time, so I toughed it out. After the run it felt fine, so I'm not too worried. I did a few stretches I don't normally do, so I'm attributing it to those, and they aren't happening again! Also, this was my longest run in over 3 months!
Later this evening, I jumped out on the bike for a little bit. I decided beforehand I was only doing 10 miles since I already ran today. The result? I was completely fresh at the end; I should have gone 20! Next week, I'll know better! Here's the (growing) list of stats:
Distance: 9.89 miles
Time: 32:31
Speed: 18.2 mph
Heart rate: 162 bpm
Cadence: 89 rpm
Garmin Data
This was my first ride with my cadence sensor, and I'm a whole lot better with cadence than I thought I was; unless I'm just behaving myself now that I have a number to keep me in line! One thing I'm disappointed in is that MotionBased doesn't show the cadence data. It appears in the Garmin software, but not online. Bummer!
Ryan - The spill actually came closer to mile 11; the HR spike you're talking about was a hill, I think.
Marcy - Oh, its not that bad. You see, its my job to convince you to get a bike and clipless pedals. You know why? Because your average post is pretty entertaining, but the world will be an even funnier place once you get clipless pedals and tip over! I mean.... *cough* when you get clipless pedals and are able to brag about never falling!
My alarm went off at 6am. I swore at it, but managed to crawl out of bed without hitting snooze. After the morning routine, and scraping ice off my car, I was en route to Todd's Road to meet up for a run; my first group run in four months!
Surprisingly, at 7am on a Saturday morning on a day with below freezing temps and really thick fog, around 40 people showed up to run at Todd's Road! I got to catch up with some old friends and put in six miles or so at a pretty good clip. Since nobody at my pace was running the six mile loop, I just ran 3 out with Jim, and 3 back on my own. Here's the splits:
8:13
7:41
7:33
6:56 (Later Jim!)
6:58
7:00
0:26 (0.07 miles)
Average pace: 7:23
Average heart rate: 167
Garmin data
This run had me worried about my hip. Last night after stretching, there was a little pain in my hip on occasion, but it didn't hurt to run or walk 99% of the time, so I toughed it out. After the run it felt fine, so I'm not too worried. I did a few stretches I don't normally do, so I'm attributing it to those, and they aren't happening again! Also, this was my longest run in over 3 months!
Later this evening, I jumped out on the bike for a little bit. I decided beforehand I was only doing 10 miles since I already ran today. The result? I was completely fresh at the end; I should have gone 20! Next week, I'll know better! Here's the (growing) list of stats:
Distance: 9.89 miles
Time: 32:31
Speed: 18.2 mph
Heart rate: 162 bpm
Cadence: 89 rpm
Garmin Data
This was my first ride with my cadence sensor, and I'm a whole lot better with cadence than I thought I was; unless I'm just behaving myself now that I have a number to keep me in line! One thing I'm disappointed in is that MotionBased doesn't show the cadence data. It appears in the Garmin software, but not online. Bummer!
Ryan - The spill actually came closer to mile 11; the HR spike you're talking about was a hill, I think.
Marcy - Oh, its not that bad. You see, its my job to convince you to get a bike and clipless pedals. You know why? Because your average post is pretty entertaining, but the world will be an even funnier place once you get clipless pedals and tip over! I mean.... *cough* when you get clipless pedals and are able to brag about never falling!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Teaching an old dog new tricks
Yep, its doable! Today the UPS guy delivered my Garmin cadence sensor for my bike, and now my Garmin does new tricks!
I got it all hooked up to my bike after class, and tested it out a little bit in my apartment (pedaling backwards, not around my kitchen table). Seems like it works, now I have even more numbers that should help me train just right on the bike!
Last night I went swimming for the first time in over a week, and it went fairly well. I only swam for a little over 30 minutes, but right now I just need to get in the habit of getting in the water again. Also, with my time split between swimming, biking, and running now, my energy level is a lot lower when I'm actually in the pool than it was before break. Over time, my endurance will get better, though, just gotta be patient while my body gets used to the workload.
Today was finally a rest day, and I needed it! My legs were starting to feel rather worn out the past couple days, but this day off is just what the doctor ordered. I'm still going to do a core workout in a little bit, so the day isn't a complete bust.
Following the rest day, though, is a pretty grueling weekend. Saturday I run in the morning and bike in the evening, then Sunday I'm swimming in the morning and running in the evening. Lots of busting my tail, but my carefully calibrated schedule seems like it will let me balance school and working out ump-teen times a week!
I got it all hooked up to my bike after class, and tested it out a little bit in my apartment (pedaling backwards, not around my kitchen table). Seems like it works, now I have even more numbers that should help me train just right on the bike!
Last night I went swimming for the first time in over a week, and it went fairly well. I only swam for a little over 30 minutes, but right now I just need to get in the habit of getting in the water again. Also, with my time split between swimming, biking, and running now, my energy level is a lot lower when I'm actually in the pool than it was before break. Over time, my endurance will get better, though, just gotta be patient while my body gets used to the workload.
Today was finally a rest day, and I needed it! My legs were starting to feel rather worn out the past couple days, but this day off is just what the doctor ordered. I'm still going to do a core workout in a little bit, so the day isn't a complete bust.
Following the rest day, though, is a pretty grueling weekend. Saturday I run in the morning and bike in the evening, then Sunday I'm swimming in the morning and running in the evening. Lots of busting my tail, but my carefully calibrated schedule seems like it will let me balance school and working out ump-teen times a week!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
TIIIIMMMBERRR
Okay. I'll admit it. It finally happened. I fell today. I accidentally completed the cyclists "Rite of Passage," and here is how it happened:
Besides that, today was a great ride. Nearly every driver I saw today gave a friendly wave, every dog was completely uninterested in me, and the weather was perfect! I really need to bring my camera along with me one of these times, but I think I'm going to wait until Spring when its really beautiful out there.
I was a little bit slower than Monday, my legs were a little tired and just not feeling it, but here's the stats:
Distance: 21.16
Time: 1:17:06
Speed: 16.5 MPH
Average Heart Rate: 158 bpm
Garmin Data
In other news I taught my First. Class. Ever. tonight! It definitely could have gone better, but it was my first time so I'm not being too critical on myself, just thinking about what I can do for improvement. I covered a huge amount more than I thought I would; 75 minutes is a long time! I also need to slow down and elaborate more. Live and learn, right?
Bill - If you became an ex-runner because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. At worst, get a bike and use cross training to replace your easy days. Do you even have easy days? :)
Marcy - Don't be a big sissy, or I'll steal your lunch money! Also, you really don't want to call me Emeril, that would imply that I didn't screw up a frozen pizza and noodles back to back a few weeks ago!
- Approach intersection
- Unclip both feet to stop
- Stop successfully with both feet on the ground
- Drink Gatorade. Ahhhh, thats the stuff!
- Clip in left foot
- Wait for the only car on the road to go through intersection
- Tip over
- Start laughing so I can tell myself the driver is laughing with me, not at me
Besides that, today was a great ride. Nearly every driver I saw today gave a friendly wave, every dog was completely uninterested in me, and the weather was perfect! I really need to bring my camera along with me one of these times, but I think I'm going to wait until Spring when its really beautiful out there.
I was a little bit slower than Monday, my legs were a little tired and just not feeling it, but here's the stats:
Distance: 21.16
Time: 1:17:06
Speed: 16.5 MPH
Average Heart Rate: 158 bpm
Garmin Data
In other news I taught my First. Class. Ever. tonight! It definitely could have gone better, but it was my first time so I'm not being too critical on myself, just thinking about what I can do for improvement. I covered a huge amount more than I thought I would; 75 minutes is a long time! I also need to slow down and elaborate more. Live and learn, right?
Bill - If you became an ex-runner because of me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. At worst, get a bike and use cross training to replace your easy days. Do you even have easy days? :)
Marcy - Don't be a big sissy, or I'll steal your lunch money! Also, you really don't want to call me Emeril, that would imply that I didn't screw up a frozen pizza and noodles back to back a few weeks ago!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Whoooosh!
Thats how I felt at the beginning of my ride today, flying like the wind! Whooooosh! I had a strong wind behind me and was cruising along around 20-25 MPH for the first part of my ride, it was great!
At one point I was on a really secluded stretch of road, the scene looked as though it came straight off of a post card. Rolling hills, huge grassy fields with horses running around on either side, and thousands upon thousands of birds connecting the two fields. When I got fairly close, the entire mass of birds rose up and took off, whooooosh! Times like this really remind me why I love riding in Kentucky!
Then I turned. Whoooosh! That was the sound of Mother Nature trying to knock me into traffic with an insanely strong wind. Luckily, I managed not to get turned into road kill.
I turned again. Whoooosh! This time Mother Nature was trying to tell me "Go home, you shouldn't play with me today!" But all I could hear was: Whoooosh! So I pressed on, since its the only thing I knew how to do.
I made one last turn. And yep. You guessed it: Whooooosh! This time Mother Nature was doing everything she could to make sure I ate ditch. She saw me on my shiny red bike, with my fancy new pedals. Its obvious she was jealous, but I stayed the course; having the wind at my side was worlds better than riding straight into it!
Whooooosh! Twenty one miles in the bank! Here's the stats:
Distance: 21.05 miles (Twice as far as yesterday)
Time: 1:14:45
Speed: 16.9 mph (But held the same speed!)
All in all, the ride felt great. I still managed not to fall, although I had a really hard time getting clipped in at an intersection that was on a hill. My second foot just didn't want to get in there; I'll get the hang of it soon enough!
Finally, I've been slacking on responding to comments, so here goes:
Amy - I'm planning to do a few sprint & olympic triathlons early on in the season, I just haven't made any official yet. I started looking at them, and theres just so many I'll probably pick one the week before it happens.
Jess - Nope, the whole pizza didn't fit on the plate; that would never fill me up!
SLB - Yep, this pedaling system has some float in it so my knees should be safe. Biking is actually something that keeps my knees working right; it worked like a miracle cure when they started bothering me this summer.
Marcy - I think biking helps my running. I made a habit of riding every Monday this summer, and it helped me quite a bit; my legs just felt stronger, especially on hills! And even if that was only in my head, you can't deny that its helping my aerobic fitness.
Christine - I'm in grad school for Computer Science. Be careful with that past tense, I'm far from being done!
At one point I was on a really secluded stretch of road, the scene looked as though it came straight off of a post card. Rolling hills, huge grassy fields with horses running around on either side, and thousands upon thousands of birds connecting the two fields. When I got fairly close, the entire mass of birds rose up and took off, whooooosh! Times like this really remind me why I love riding in Kentucky!
Then I turned. Whoooosh! That was the sound of Mother Nature trying to knock me into traffic with an insanely strong wind. Luckily, I managed not to get turned into road kill.
I turned again. Whoooosh! This time Mother Nature was trying to tell me "Go home, you shouldn't play with me today!" But all I could hear was: Whoooosh! So I pressed on, since its the only thing I knew how to do.
I made one last turn. And yep. You guessed it: Whooooosh! This time Mother Nature was doing everything she could to make sure I ate ditch. She saw me on my shiny red bike, with my fancy new pedals. Its obvious she was jealous, but I stayed the course; having the wind at my side was worlds better than riding straight into it!
Whooooosh! Twenty one miles in the bank! Here's the stats:
Distance: 21.05 miles (Twice as far as yesterday)
Time: 1:14:45
Speed: 16.9 mph (But held the same speed!)
All in all, the ride felt great. I still managed not to fall, although I had a really hard time getting clipped in at an intersection that was on a hill. My second foot just didn't want to get in there; I'll get the hang of it soon enough!
Finally, I've been slacking on responding to comments, so here goes:
Amy - I'm planning to do a few sprint & olympic triathlons early on in the season, I just haven't made any official yet. I started looking at them, and theres just so many I'll probably pick one the week before it happens.
Jess - Nope, the whole pizza didn't fit on the plate; that would never fill me up!
SLB - Yep, this pedaling system has some float in it so my knees should be safe. Biking is actually something that keeps my knees working right; it worked like a miracle cure when they started bothering me this summer.
Marcy - I think biking helps my running. I made a habit of riding every Monday this summer, and it helped me quite a bit; my legs just felt stronger, especially on hills! And even if that was only in my head, you can't deny that its helping my aerobic fitness.
Christine - I'm in grad school for Computer Science. Be careful with that past tense, I'm far from being done!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Running, Biking, and Wind, Oh My!
Today has been a pretty busy day, considering the semester doesn't start until Wednesday!
I woke up around 9 and got out for a run. The weather was pretty nice, around 50 degrees, so I ran in shorts for the first time in a while! I know to some of you, that sounds down-right chilly, but let us non-Floridians enjoy it!
This run was at least a little slower than yesterday, but as you can tell by the splits I stopped paying attention to pace for at least a little while:
7:34
7:23
6:52
7:22
2:30 (0.35 miles)
Average pace: 7:17
My hip felt fine throughout the whole run, maybe I'll even be able to forget about it soon? I've ran almost 10 miles in the past two days, which is a first in a long time!
After lunch and a little bit of reading, I got out on the bike; my first ride with clipless pedals! And surprisingly (magically, miraculously, luckily, ...) I didn't fall, not even once! I started the ride by riding around the parking lot practicing starts and stops over and over until I felt confident enough to get out on the roads. I had a few close calls while practicing, but I managed to keep myself, and my bike, upright.
I'm already loving the clipless pedals. Climbing hills is a breeze since I can generate a lot more power going up. Although its using different muscles, so I wore myself out really quick, then turned into the wind, and the last part of the ride was pretty rough. Over time, though, I'll build up those new muscles and learn not to wear myself out in the first couple miles; thats when the real benefit will come!
Bike stats:
Miles: 9.82
Time: 34:52
Avg Speed: 16.9 MPH
I woke up around 9 and got out for a run. The weather was pretty nice, around 50 degrees, so I ran in shorts for the first time in a while! I know to some of you, that sounds down-right chilly, but let us non-Floridians enjoy it!
This run was at least a little slower than yesterday, but as you can tell by the splits I stopped paying attention to pace for at least a little while:
7:34
7:23
6:52
7:22
2:30 (0.35 miles)
Average pace: 7:17
My hip felt fine throughout the whole run, maybe I'll even be able to forget about it soon? I've ran almost 10 miles in the past two days, which is a first in a long time!
After lunch and a little bit of reading, I got out on the bike; my first ride with clipless pedals! And surprisingly (magically, miraculously, luckily, ...) I didn't fall, not even once! I started the ride by riding around the parking lot practicing starts and stops over and over until I felt confident enough to get out on the roads. I had a few close calls while practicing, but I managed to keep myself, and my bike, upright.
I'm already loving the clipless pedals. Climbing hills is a breeze since I can generate a lot more power going up. Although its using different muscles, so I wore myself out really quick, then turned into the wind, and the last part of the ride was pretty rough. Over time, though, I'll build up those new muscles and learn not to wear myself out in the first couple miles; thats when the real benefit will come!
Bike stats:
Miles: 9.82
Time: 34:52
Avg Speed: 16.9 MPH
Saturday, January 5, 2008
"Easy" Five
I woke up this morning around 9am ready to run. My legs felt fresh after a few days completely off, it was raining, and I was just feeling it. So I went out for what was to be a nice easy 5 1/2 miles; my longest run since October 7th.
The run started and I clocked off the first mile in 7:24, and I decided that was acceptably easy so I stopped paying attention to my Garmin. Then what? Well, here's the splits:
7:24
7:08
7:06
6:52
6:53
3:38 (thats 7:11 pace for 0.51 miles)
Going quick felt amazing and surprisingly effortless. My legs feel the quicker pace a little bit tonight, but not my hip! Its feeling good as new!
After my run I went out to the bike shop to get the death traps for my feet. By that, of course, I mean the clipless pedals for my bike:
The new pedals
The contraption on my shoe that attaches to the pedal
Supposedly, these new gadgets are going to make me able to bike significantly faster. However, they're also going to cause me to fall on my face at some point. I've been practicing getting out of the pedals all night, but I know I'm probably going to topple over when I stop tomorrow! Don't worry, I'll be posting picture of my inevitable injuries!
The run started and I clocked off the first mile in 7:24, and I decided that was acceptably easy so I stopped paying attention to my Garmin. Then what? Well, here's the splits:
7:24
7:08
7:06
6:52
6:53
3:38 (thats 7:11 pace for 0.51 miles)
Going quick felt amazing and surprisingly effortless. My legs feel the quicker pace a little bit tonight, but not my hip! Its feeling good as new!
After my run I went out to the bike shop to get the death traps for my feet. By that, of course, I mean the clipless pedals for my bike:
The new pedals
The contraption on my shoe that attaches to the pedalSupposedly, these new gadgets are going to make me able to bike significantly faster. However, they're also going to cause me to fall on my face at some point. I've been practicing getting out of the pedals all night, but I know I'm probably going to topple over when I stop tomorrow! Don't worry, I'll be posting picture of my inevitable injuries!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Sweet Home Kentucky
I made it back to Kentucky in one piece.
Nothing too eventful about the trip, except a gas station that was out of gas. I went to fill up and the gas literally dripped into my tank. After five minutes I had one dollar worth of gas! I noticed lines were actually forming at all the pumps, so I'm assuming that was the case at all the pumps.
Since I was traveling all day, no running or biking happened at all. The plan is to do an ab workout tonight before I hit the sheets, so then I can at least count today worth something!
Tomorrow, though, I'm planning to get out and run 5 miles; the laziness has to come to an end! Also, I'm going to go drop a bunch of money at the bike shop. I'm giving into the suggestion every serious cyclist gives me, and I'm going to get clipless pedals. Supposedly they make pretty much anybody 10% faster just by using them, since you're also pulling up instead of just pushing down.
The only problem is that its really going to increase the chance of me falling on my face. And not only that, when I do fall on my face, I'm going to be going 10% faster when I do it! Don't worry, I'll be sure to post pictures when the inevitable fall eventually happens. Ultimately, though, if I want to be serious about biking I need to get clipless pedals. And in my opinion at least, its better to start developing the technique and muscles for it sooner than later.
In unrelated news, my appetite is still in overdrive from my 2-a-day workouts earlier this week, and I just consumed an entire pizza.
Okay, so I lied a little, I left the burnt crust!
Nic - The prospect of a pacer is making me lean more towards Racine already, even if its not a guarantee!
Nancy - You know, I almost forgot about the bug that was going around my house. I bet you're right, the old immune system was using all my energy to keep it at bay! So far, no symptoms at all other than being tired and I'm away from all the sickies now!
Nothing too eventful about the trip, except a gas station that was out of gas. I went to fill up and the gas literally dripped into my tank. After five minutes I had one dollar worth of gas! I noticed lines were actually forming at all the pumps, so I'm assuming that was the case at all the pumps.
Since I was traveling all day, no running or biking happened at all. The plan is to do an ab workout tonight before I hit the sheets, so then I can at least count today worth something!
Tomorrow, though, I'm planning to get out and run 5 miles; the laziness has to come to an end! Also, I'm going to go drop a bunch of money at the bike shop. I'm giving into the suggestion every serious cyclist gives me, and I'm going to get clipless pedals. Supposedly they make pretty much anybody 10% faster just by using them, since you're also pulling up instead of just pushing down.
The only problem is that its really going to increase the chance of me falling on my face. And not only that, when I do fall on my face, I'm going to be going 10% faster when I do it! Don't worry, I'll be sure to post pictures when the inevitable fall eventually happens. Ultimately, though, if I want to be serious about biking I need to get clipless pedals. And in my opinion at least, its better to start developing the technique and muscles for it sooner than later.
In unrelated news, my appetite is still in overdrive from my 2-a-day workouts earlier this week, and I just consumed an entire pizza.
Okay, so I lied a little, I left the burnt crust!Nancy - You know, I almost forgot about the bug that was going around my house. I bet you're right, the old immune system was using all my energy to keep it at bay! So far, no symptoms at all other than being tired and I'm away from all the sickies now!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
I'm Pooped
Tired. Spent. Worn out. Dead. Too pooped to participate!
I think it has been my diet these past few days, or maybe I'm just increasing my volume a little too quickly. But no matter what it is, I'm drained.
This morning I woke up and jumped on the bike trainer for an hour; we'll call it 20 miles because the effort was good. Then I spent most the day being a bum. I had a pizza for lunch and my mom made cheeseburgers for dinner, so I had crap in the tank when I went for my swim tonight.
The game plan was to swim a mile, but after half that I was completely drained. My form was falling apart, each lap was sending my heart rate up to 170+, and my arms were dead. Rather than toughing through it I decided to call it a night and come back another day. Since I'm still trying to get my technique down, swimming half a mile with poor technique would have only done more harm than good. On the bright side, though, I'm glad it isn't injury holding me back this time!
Then I had a super-fun adventure trying to get my registration sticker on my license plate. I followed the directions, but apparently the glue doesn't stick when its around absolute zero outside. So I decided to try out super gluing it to my license plate, and so far so good. Although now I have super glue all over my fingers, and I'm probably going to spend the rest of the night trying to peel it (and my skin) off my hands!
I think it has been my diet these past few days, or maybe I'm just increasing my volume a little too quickly. But no matter what it is, I'm drained.
This morning I woke up and jumped on the bike trainer for an hour; we'll call it 20 miles because the effort was good. Then I spent most the day being a bum. I had a pizza for lunch and my mom made cheeseburgers for dinner, so I had crap in the tank when I went for my swim tonight.
The game plan was to swim a mile, but after half that I was completely drained. My form was falling apart, each lap was sending my heart rate up to 170+, and my arms were dead. Rather than toughing through it I decided to call it a night and come back another day. Since I'm still trying to get my technique down, swimming half a mile with poor technique would have only done more harm than good. On the bright side, though, I'm glad it isn't injury holding me back this time!
Then I had a super-fun adventure trying to get my registration sticker on my license plate. I followed the directions, but apparently the glue doesn't stick when its around absolute zero outside. So I decided to try out super gluing it to my license plate, and so far so good. Although now I have super glue all over my fingers, and I'm probably going to spend the rest of the night trying to peel it (and my skin) off my hands!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Breaking in the new kicks
Today I got to break in my first pair of new running shoes in almost five months; I can't believe its been that long! Last time I got a new pair, a hip injury followed suit. Damn those Mizunos! This time I went back to my old faithful shoes: Asics!
I went with the 2130's, which replaced my old 2120's that I've been eeking out as many miles as possible on. But the new kicks are sweet, no discomfort at all and eliminates nearly all the pounding; just what I need.
The run this morning was great, to me. We got an inch or two of snow last night, which wasn't enough for it to get in my shoes, but was enough for me to make my mark in the snow. Theres just something about leaving the first footprints in a fresh snow; I love it!
My hip is hanging in there just fine, even after four miles at a respectable pace. The splits were:
7:27
7:22
7:35
7:25
And in other news, I'm still managing to hold off the illness that everybody seems to be getting. Hopefully I can stick with it; the 10 hours of sleep is probably helping. I better keep doing that! (Hey, let me believe what I want to!)
Tonight I gotta jump on the bike in the basement again. Although the snow was fun to run in, it completely ruins biking for the next week or so. Blargh!
I hope running is going well for everybody else!
I went with the 2130's, which replaced my old 2120's that I've been eeking out as many miles as possible on. But the new kicks are sweet, no discomfort at all and eliminates nearly all the pounding; just what I need.
The run this morning was great, to me. We got an inch or two of snow last night, which wasn't enough for it to get in my shoes, but was enough for me to make my mark in the snow. Theres just something about leaving the first footprints in a fresh snow; I love it!
My hip is hanging in there just fine, even after four miles at a respectable pace. The splits were:
7:27
7:22
7:35
7:25
And in other news, I'm still managing to hold off the illness that everybody seems to be getting. Hopefully I can stick with it; the 10 hours of sleep is probably helping. I better keep doing that! (Hey, let me believe what I want to!)
Tonight I gotta jump on the bike in the basement again. Although the snow was fun to run in, it completely ruins biking for the next week or so. Blargh!
I hope running is going well for everybody else!
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