So the countdown is on until the switch from SSC to Fill Creative! And man, it can not come soon enough. I think I have the same kind of fever you get when you're about to go on vacation. Suddenly, all you want to do is go on vacation - screw all the work! This week has been rough. Everything just seems to have been flying at me all at once. But I have still managed to get all of my planned workouts in, so I'm happy about meeting that part of my recent "goals". Today I am not sure if I'll have time to sneak a run in before heading down to Covington to meet up with Greg and his work friend (who goes by "Dude"). But here's hoping!
I am working at Lux today so I went over to the lovely cafeteria to purchase the worst veggie sandwich I've ever had. But at least I got to walk outside. It is really windy out - so a run would be pretty fun! A bike ride, however, would not.
So last night I was overwhelmed with work, but Christen was able to help which saved me 4 hours that I didn't have! I emailed her some files and she did it and emailed it all back - beautiful. Recently when I've been talking to people here at Lux, I start to tell them how things are changing soon and I'm getting a partner. I get giddy talking about it! So far everyone has been very receptive and excited about it. I still need to figure out exactly how to let them all know...maybe some kind of letter? It's got to be quick and simple.
You know what else is on my mind? Weeds!! They are out of control at the house and I think when I was working in the wee hours of the morning last night I heard one trying to get into the house. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend a little bit too - once the ground is nice and soft from the rain. The battle is on weeds. You're gonna lose.
Oh boy, my belly is not liking the sandwich as much as I didn't like it. Trying to dilute it with some water...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Track and Longest Run Thus Far
This week is crazy, and it's ending with the most craziness. But I need a break, so here I am writing.
Tuesday was track night. It was windy!
Here's the flag to prove it.
I got there first, as usual, waiting on the southern working commuters :) I went to the bathroom to change. I must say, I felt like I could eat off of that bathroom's floor. It was sparkling! Here's a picture of me giving my thumbs up approval.
Greg and Roman finally arrived and I snapped a picture of us. Numerous ones, actually, but this one was the least head-chopping one.
I had warmed up a mile before they got there. Then I did a bunch of 100s all within 21 - 23 seconds. I only had my phone to use as a stopwatch because I forgot my watch, so that was kind of annoying. After doing maybe 4 or 6 100s, I met up with Greg and Roman again and asked what they were doing...and suggested ladders for them. :) So they did 100, 200, 300, 400 and then back down. Not sure if they repeated 400 twice. Meanwhile I did a step-stool, lol. I did another 100, then 200, 200, and finished with 100. I was spent after that last 100. The wind and excessive amount of children to avoid while out there took it out of me. I jogged, catching up with Roman and Greg as they finished their sets.
Next week we need to figure out what lane is going to not have waste-high kids flailing around in it. I'm really worried I'm going to plow one of them over and that would not be pretty.
Wednesday morning I ran 4 miles with Casey and it was great! That is the farthest I've ran since my IT band injury, so I'm soooo happy! And it was the morning after track! I can't wait to start ramping up the distance.
In other news, my new bike clothes arrived! I've tried them all on and everything fits except the Grateful Dead tank and the bike shorts. So I think I'll send them back and get sizes up.
Today I'm taking a day off. We had kickball last night and from sprinting to the bases a couple of times I kind of tweaked my quad. I'll see what I'll do tomorrow - maybe a run maybe a bike ride.
Tuesday was track night. It was windy!
Here's the flag to prove it.
I got there first, as usual, waiting on the southern working commuters :) I went to the bathroom to change. I must say, I felt like I could eat off of that bathroom's floor. It was sparkling! Here's a picture of me giving my thumbs up approval.
Greg and Roman finally arrived and I snapped a picture of us. Numerous ones, actually, but this one was the least head-chopping one.
I had warmed up a mile before they got there. Then I did a bunch of 100s all within 21 - 23 seconds. I only had my phone to use as a stopwatch because I forgot my watch, so that was kind of annoying. After doing maybe 4 or 6 100s, I met up with Greg and Roman again and asked what they were doing...and suggested ladders for them. :) So they did 100, 200, 300, 400 and then back down. Not sure if they repeated 400 twice. Meanwhile I did a step-stool, lol. I did another 100, then 200, 200, and finished with 100. I was spent after that last 100. The wind and excessive amount of children to avoid while out there took it out of me. I jogged, catching up with Roman and Greg as they finished their sets.
Next week we need to figure out what lane is going to not have waste-high kids flailing around in it. I'm really worried I'm going to plow one of them over and that would not be pretty.
Wednesday morning I ran 4 miles with Casey and it was great! That is the farthest I've ran since my IT band injury, so I'm soooo happy! And it was the morning after track! I can't wait to start ramping up the distance.
In other news, my new bike clothes arrived! I've tried them all on and everything fits except the Grateful Dead tank and the bike shorts. So I think I'll send them back and get sizes up.
Today I'm taking a day off. We had kickball last night and from sprinting to the bases a couple of times I kind of tweaked my quad. I'll see what I'll do tomorrow - maybe a run maybe a bike ride.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Bike Clothes
Since I've been doing more road biking recently, and because bright colors and pockets are cool and necessary, I decided I should try to find some not 80 dollar jerseys if they exist out there. I started searching on Amazon and found a few, but decided to try to stick to just one brand for sizing/returns ease. So I ended up on Primal Wear's website – they make cycling apparel (including custom team kits - how cool would that be!?)
So I found some pretty good deals on some sweet summer riding wear.
Even though it's black...
I couldn't care less about the Grateful Dead, but this was $10.
The pattern is cogs screened back. Pretty cool.
And this one was called Candy. I think the name makes it more appealing... at least it's bright!
I also got some new shorts - I hope they fit. Kind of hard without trying them on, but they were only $30, which is CHEAP for padded cycling shorts.
It should arrive pretty soon! Now I won't have to wear the same jersey each time I ride!
So I found some pretty good deals on some sweet summer riding wear.
Even though it's black...
I couldn't care less about the Grateful Dead, but this was $10.
The pattern is cogs screened back. Pretty cool.
And this one was called Candy. I think the name makes it more appealing... at least it's bright!
I also got some new shorts - I hope they fit. Kind of hard without trying them on, but they were only $30, which is CHEAP for padded cycling shorts.
It should arrive pretty soon! Now I won't have to wear the same jersey each time I ride!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Unsuccessful Spinflixing
So this was the feature presentation tonight for Spinflix Theater...
(Interview with the Vampire) But here I am bagging it and just watching the movie instead. :(
This movie has such a large range in the volume. So basically I either couldn't hear conversations or was jumping out of the saddle when something sudden would happen. I couldn't get the subtitles to work for some reason (I'm pretty certain we've watched Netflix with subtitles on before, but maybe it was only because it was a French movie). I remembered that Greg got a headphone extension of some sort, so I got that and tried to get it to work with the receiver. I'm just not good with cords and understanding what goes where. After trying many things, I just couldn't figure it out. Then I banged my head really hard on the shelf above the TV - arrgh!
So I got back on my bike, frustrated. And there basically wasn't anything to get out of the movie since I couldn't follow it. I didn't feel like staring at nothing, or perhaps finding something else to watch that didn't require following so closely. So, again, here I am just watching it. Boo for the failed workout.
But this is one of my favorite movies, and I haven't seen it in years. I forgot how much I enjoy the soundtrack too.
(Interview with the Vampire) But here I am bagging it and just watching the movie instead. :(
This movie has such a large range in the volume. So basically I either couldn't hear conversations or was jumping out of the saddle when something sudden would happen. I couldn't get the subtitles to work for some reason (I'm pretty certain we've watched Netflix with subtitles on before, but maybe it was only because it was a French movie). I remembered that Greg got a headphone extension of some sort, so I got that and tried to get it to work with the receiver. I'm just not good with cords and understanding what goes where. After trying many things, I just couldn't figure it out. Then I banged my head really hard on the shelf above the TV - arrgh!
So I got back on my bike, frustrated. And there basically wasn't anything to get out of the movie since I couldn't follow it. I didn't feel like staring at nothing, or perhaps finding something else to watch that didn't require following so closely. So, again, here I am just watching it. Boo for the failed workout.
But this is one of my favorite movies, and I haven't seen it in years. I forgot how much I enjoy the soundtrack too.
It's Official...
My new business partner gave her two weeks at her current job today...
so her official last day is May 7th!!!!! Yay Christen!!!!!!
After 2 years and 8 months, Stephanie Smith Creative will become Fill Creative, keeping the same clients and working to gain more, with Christen and I as partners. It's going to be great. As this has been in development I couldn't really write too much about it. So more details later, but I'm just so happy that it is at long last happening! It's going to be so much fun. I feel relieved, happy and very excited about the adventures ahead!
so her official last day is May 7th!!!!! Yay Christen!!!!!!
After 2 years and 8 months, Stephanie Smith Creative will become Fill Creative, keeping the same clients and working to gain more, with Christen and I as partners. It's going to be great. As this has been in development I couldn't really write too much about it. So more details later, but I'm just so happy that it is at long last happening! It's going to be so much fun. I feel relieved, happy and very excited about the adventures ahead!
Rainy Monday
The tree outside my window is moving vigorously this morning. It looks blustery outside. The weather makes me want to be productive though - get a lot done inside since I won't be going outside. Today I am sore. I am not sure exactly what from...disc golf and running faster than I normally run on Saturday perhaps. Oh and maybe from the few push-ups I did on Saturday? Yes, I do think it is probably from the dang push-ups! I need to do them daily!!!!! In fact, I am hereby setting forth a push-up challenge for myself. I'll start with the wall ones. 50 a day. In combination with that I'll add on real pushups too. I'll do as many as I can, which is probably two. I need upper body strength. It is crazy how disproportionate my body strength is. So, yeah - challenge on!
I was finally contacted by Girls on the Run and will be running their GOTR 5K with one of the girls on May 8th! I'm excited, it should be fun. And it hopefully will lead to more opportunities working with them. I am sending in my background check form and will register for the race today. Then in the next weeks I will get details about being the running buddy!
My studio is creaking in the wind. I still look forward to a good thunderstorm while here.
I was finally contacted by Girls on the Run and will be running their GOTR 5K with one of the girls on May 8th! I'm excited, it should be fun. And it hopefully will lead to more opportunities working with them. I am sending in my background check form and will register for the race today. Then in the next weeks I will get details about being the running buddy!
My studio is creaking in the wind. I still look forward to a good thunderstorm while here.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Day of Rest
Well, I didn't get out on the long run I was hoping for today. I am pretty sore from sprinting during kickball yesterday (!?). My hips are pretty tight so I decided to just take a day off. Plus I'm just absolutely exhausted. Really really worn out. I've enjoyed relaxing this evening.
I found that Blogger allows you to do tabs now. I am not sure what all to put up on my tabs. Right now there are two: Goals and This Week. Goals is what I've written as my recent goals. And This Week is a list view of what I've done with for the week. I can go in and change it every week. It's just nice to see the week all together. I track my workouts on LogYourRun.com, but it's kind of clunky and this will be a nice, easily accessible snapshot of the week. I thought about putting my times for races I've done, just so I can see everything together and use those times as benchmarks... but that is kind of embarrassing so I'm not sure I want to do that. I don't know what else to put on the tabs for now, but if I think of anything cool I will add it.
Tomorrow I have a lot to do, but I don't have any meetings or deadlines, so it's my own time. I am going to get up and go for a run...perhaps the longish one I talked about in my earlier post. It will probably be raining, but oh well.
I found that Blogger allows you to do tabs now. I am not sure what all to put up on my tabs. Right now there are two: Goals and This Week. Goals is what I've written as my recent goals. And This Week is a list view of what I've done with for the week. I can go in and change it every week. It's just nice to see the week all together. I track my workouts on LogYourRun.com, but it's kind of clunky and this will be a nice, easily accessible snapshot of the week. I thought about putting my times for races I've done, just so I can see everything together and use those times as benchmarks... but that is kind of embarrassing so I'm not sure I want to do that. I don't know what else to put on the tabs for now, but if I think of anything cool I will add it.
Tomorrow I have a lot to do, but I don't have any meetings or deadlines, so it's my own time. I am going to get up and go for a run...perhaps the longish one I talked about in my earlier post. It will probably be raining, but oh well.
Longer Runs Soon
I would like to start ramping up the running mileage again. It's time to start to build up some endurance. I was looking online this morning at the Tri for Joe and another duathlon that is at Caesar's Creek the week before. Hmmm, decisions. I really look forward to doing another duathlon! And I'm happy to be this far on the bike already when it's only April. And I'm super happy to be able to run without any pain from my IT band! Now it's time to start introducing the mileage again, carefully.
Dexter's cool calm and collected face.
Today is going to be a beautiful day, so I'm hoping to get in a nice, leisurely long run from my house through the adjoining tree-lined neighborhoods and maybe around Landen Lake. I'd like to get to that wonderful zone where it's just my mind and my body easily moving forward, sustaining each other. I love a run where I feel like I am in a light current, listening to the rhythm of my breathing and feeling nearly every inch of my body working to propel me along.
Dexter's cool calm and collected face.
Today is going to be a beautiful day, so I'm hoping to get in a nice, leisurely long run from my house through the adjoining tree-lined neighborhoods and maybe around Landen Lake. I'd like to get to that wonderful zone where it's just my mind and my body easily moving forward, sustaining each other. I love a run where I feel like I am in a light current, listening to the rhythm of my breathing and feeling nearly every inch of my body working to propel me along.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Morning Runs
Morning runs for me work out really well for many reasons. Uh-oh, here comes a list.
1. Waking up.
Even though my body maybe hasn't fully woken up yet, it will definitely be awake after a half mile or so. And I am more likely to not be tired in the morning than at the end of the day after a long day of work. However, sometimes a run after work is great for stress release. I prefer it to be a track workout or something else that involves a bunch of running around though.
2. More energy throughout the day.
I have a lot more energy throughout the day, especially the morning. I also find that the after lunch sleepiness doesn't happen as often.
3. The air.
It seems to be clearer and easier to breathe. Newscasters will tell you the pollution index is a lot lower in the morning. And in the summer, the thick smog and haze hasn't established itself as much as after work. That is huge.
4. The beauty.
I suppose a sunset run would be gorgeous. I should try that some time. But I really love the morning light and how it illuminates everything that is beginning to wake up for the day. The light shines differently through the morning mist. It reflects the dew on the ground and highlights the still-closed flowers. You can feel the sun beginning to warm everything up. It seems to match my morning moods perfectly: gently making my way into the day, trying to observe and experience as much as I can.
1. Waking up.
Even though my body maybe hasn't fully woken up yet, it will definitely be awake after a half mile or so. And I am more likely to not be tired in the morning than at the end of the day after a long day of work. However, sometimes a run after work is great for stress release. I prefer it to be a track workout or something else that involves a bunch of running around though.
2. More energy throughout the day.
I have a lot more energy throughout the day, especially the morning. I also find that the after lunch sleepiness doesn't happen as often.
3. The air.
It seems to be clearer and easier to breathe. Newscasters will tell you the pollution index is a lot lower in the morning. And in the summer, the thick smog and haze hasn't established itself as much as after work. That is huge.
4. The beauty.
I suppose a sunset run would be gorgeous. I should try that some time. But I really love the morning light and how it illuminates everything that is beginning to wake up for the day. The light shines differently through the morning mist. It reflects the dew on the ground and highlights the still-closed flowers. You can feel the sun beginning to warm everything up. It seems to match my morning moods perfectly: gently making my way into the day, trying to observe and experience as much as I can.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
35 Mile Ride...BONK!
Monday night: another group ride from Cycle Sport! It was a great evening for it. I went with Rich (ride leader who also works at the store), Glen, and Glen's teenage son Austin. At 5:30 and we headed off!
Leaving the shop, we immediately tackled the first hill of many for the evening - Cottonwood. It wasn't too bad. I had warning, so I shifted my gears in the lowest set and steadily climbed up. It definitely got me breathing hard, but my legs were fine.
From there, we toured through Loveland, back down the hill and got on the trail for a very brief time. It was in this stretch that some decisions were made. Rich and Glen asked me and Austin what we wanted to do. I said I was open. I was feeling really good and strong, so I was up for a challenge. :) Austin didn't have much opinion, or at least none he vocalized. It was either a) what we did the last time I was with them, or b) hills up on the ridge. Austin looked at me, so I said hills. [cue ominous music] There is a road that is not far out of the downtown Loveland area junction called Adams. It runs parallel to the trail for a little bit, then crosses it and goes uphill. That is where we went. They all warned me it was a big climb and to stay on the far side of the road. Austin said he'd probably walk part of it. Hmmmm. I got in front of Austin, in case he all of the sudden decided to jump off his bike, and worked up the hill steadily. It was rough! It was steep, then got steeper and had a sharp turn. My breathing got into a fast rhythm, not matching my pedal stroke at all, but just the rhythm needed for me to keep pumping. I stood up on the pedals and focused. Basically there was no stopping. I had passed the point of being able to securely clip out of my pedal, so it was either keep going or fall over. I kept going, and the road slowly leveled out to a flat. We had lost Austin though - he jumped off at some point and walked up. It allowed us some time to recover, which I wasn't going to complain about.
We were warmed up now! From here, we rode on beautiful, winding country roads. There were large freshly planted fields, farms, horses, cattle, pockets of trees...all in very lovely settings. The road continued to go up and down, with some moderate climbs that you had to get out of the saddle for. There were also some great descents. :) I think my bike topped out at 33 mph on this ride.
After a good handful of more short climbs and rolling hills, Austin was struggling. His father stayed with him, and we lost them on a few turns. Rich and I pulled over because we had seen them behind us. But they never came, so Rich doubled back to see what was up. Turns out Austin had had it, and they were heading back. While I waited for Rich to return I took these pictures of the intersection we were at. I really wish I could have taken more pictures while we were on the ride. It was just so gorgeous and peaceful. The only noise was the wind rushing past my ears. These pictures aren't very pretty though.
We headed straight out the road in the last photo, which was Dallasburg. It was a long country road with no middle line :) The hills were great – a set of gentle rollers. Eventually we turned and continued on more of the same. We saw a buzzard off to the field at the right, pretty close to the road.
Coming up on one intersection, another group of cyclists passed us. There were probably about 8 of them, and one pulled up next to Rich and said hi. Rich dropped back and told me that was their racing club. I think it is the Cycle Sport sponsored team. He said they were probably on a recovery ride. It was so cool to see the pack. I wanted to be in it. On this road, Rich and I chatted a bit and road side by side, really closely. That is what roadies do, if you're not drafting. I kept my eyes forward, since I was on the right and closest to the ditch. But it was a pretty neat feeling to be zipping along in unison. Oddly, for a little bit it didn't even feel like we were on bikes, but more like we were just riding on something smooth. I think it might be because side by side, you lose sight of seeing legs going up and down, so you lose that rhythm and just feel the gliding.
Rich showed me how he knew where he was going. There are a few markings on the roads out there to designate routes that clubs have painted on the pavement. The one we were following was the Beers for Gears route, which used three orange dots. Their configuration pointed you in the correct direction before each intersection. Looked like this:
Straight:
Left:
Right:
Yes I photoshopped that. :) So we followed the three orange dots through more amazing scenery, over rolling hills and S-turn roads. I really wish I could have taken pictures! A lot of people were out mowing. Some people were out in their yards doing various yard work. I noticed red cardinals flying in last season's corn fields – the red color popped off of the tannish-yellow so vividly. There were numerous run-down barns that were falling apart (which I really like seeing for some reason). And I saw a few old cars, abandoned and left to rust in the midst of weeds at the back of properties. I saw one man looking at his garden set up. With the combination of the lowering sunlight, the smell of the air, and the quietness, I was reminded multiple times of how evenings were spent where I grew up.
Rich told me about a 400 mile ride he is going to do in May. He turns 60 this year and thought it would be a good way to commemorate that :) It's over 4 days through Ohio. They take a break each 25 miles. Sounds like quite an endeavor! I wonder what the bicycling equivalent to the marathon is. Seems like 100 miles 4 days in a row would be really really hard!
Eventually we came to some pretty big descents as we were heading back down into Morrow. At the end of the one where I glanced at my cyclometer and noted the 33 mph, a steep uphill followed. I wasn't prepared. I was grinning ear to ear after the fun downhill and didn't think about coming out of it. The hill was steep and had me at a crawl very quickly. I was in the wrong gear :( So, tired legs pulled me up the hill. It was another case of either keep going or fall over. I stood up and mashed down hard on each stroke. When I wasn't in a down stroke, my bike was stopped – that is how steep it was. I thought for sure I was going over. I felt my back tire slip a couple of times. My breathing was out of control but I didn't want to fall. Eventually I made it to the top, with Rich way out ahead of me. I slowly recovered, hanging my head out of tiredness. That one did it. I was spent, and I knew it.
That was our last climb, and we soon got to Morrow, where we got back on the bike trail. But first, Rich pointed up to a tree full of buzzards! It was so cool - they were so large and looked like big dark balloons spread out evenly through the treetop. There must have been 20 of them in the tree. Riding through the town, I could tell I had faded a LOT. But I thought that after getting back on the relatively flat trail I would be fine. We spinned along side-by-side, cruising around 16 mph, but this felt hard. I kept dropping back, unable to maintain the pace. And then I got a horrendous stomach cramp on my right side. It didn't feel like anything I had ever felt when running. It hurt to be bent over on the bike and I tried to stretch it out. But it kept getting worse. So we took a little break in South Lebanon. It hurt so bad I was wincing. It was hard to be in that much pain around someone I didn't know. I just wanted to go slowly. Rich offered me some Hammer Gel and just the thought of it nearly made me throw up. That stuff can be rough on your stomach already, so while my stomach is throwing a fit? No thanks. He also offered to go get his car and pick me up. But I felt like that was ridiculous and said I could try to make it closer, but just needed to go slower. So we proceeded, me wincing and grunting while Rich told various stories, probably trying to get my mind off of it. We got to the Powder Factory and I just couldn't do it anymore. I had no idea what was going on, but had a suspicion it was the effort of the ride combined with not enough food eaten in preparation for the ride. I know how much to eat with running, but I'm still learning this whole long ride biking thing! :)
Powder Factory:
So, Rich left me at the Powder Factory parking lot, heading back to the store. I laid down on the bench, but that made me feel like I had drank too much and the room was spinning. So I sat up and then paced. My legs were tight anyway, it was better to keep moving. I paced and stretched, and checked facebook on my phone, played some solitaire, texted people, emailed... where the heck is Rich? 9 miles shouldn't have taken this long. I texted Greg - he was in Loveland at Youth, but I didn't think he'd answer his phone. He did get my stranded messages and came down to provide a warm car for me to sit in while waiting. I don't think my bike would have fit in his car...not with much dismantling of it anyway. Meanwhile I had heard from Rich...he was locked out of the store! So he couldn't get his keys and car, nor could he get a hold of anyone he worked with to let him in, so he called Glen to the rescue. Rich left his bike in Starbucks which is right next door to the shop, and they both came up in Glen's SUV. I felt pretty bad for the inconvenience, but they laughed at the entire evening and what the hills had done to us all. And it's what you do as cyclist – that's why you ride together.
Finally back at my car, we loaded my bike on top and I headed home to take a very long hot shower. I was chilled to the bone. And then I ate and crashed into bed. Recovered now, but wow. Lesson learned. Eat more before a ride like that, and take food along too! That's what that back pocket on my jersey is for! :)
Overall, it was such a great ride! I felt so strong and had a smile on my face the entire way. It was just the last 5 - 10 minutes of it that got ugly. The other couple of hours was amazing. I enjoyed being out in the country and seeing the scenery. I'm glad to know they do rides like this. Gives some nice variety to the boring trail. I am looking forward to the next one. I also learned that there is a women's ride on Fridays that just started up. I may try this out some time. And there are group rides on the weekend from various locations too. Weekend rides would be easier – there would be more time to get it all in rather than cramming it in the few hours of daylight after work.
Yay biking!!
:)
Leaving the shop, we immediately tackled the first hill of many for the evening - Cottonwood. It wasn't too bad. I had warning, so I shifted my gears in the lowest set and steadily climbed up. It definitely got me breathing hard, but my legs were fine.
From there, we toured through Loveland, back down the hill and got on the trail for a very brief time. It was in this stretch that some decisions were made. Rich and Glen asked me and Austin what we wanted to do. I said I was open. I was feeling really good and strong, so I was up for a challenge. :) Austin didn't have much opinion, or at least none he vocalized. It was either a) what we did the last time I was with them, or b) hills up on the ridge. Austin looked at me, so I said hills. [cue ominous music] There is a road that is not far out of the downtown Loveland area junction called Adams. It runs parallel to the trail for a little bit, then crosses it and goes uphill. That is where we went. They all warned me it was a big climb and to stay on the far side of the road. Austin said he'd probably walk part of it. Hmmmm. I got in front of Austin, in case he all of the sudden decided to jump off his bike, and worked up the hill steadily. It was rough! It was steep, then got steeper and had a sharp turn. My breathing got into a fast rhythm, not matching my pedal stroke at all, but just the rhythm needed for me to keep pumping. I stood up on the pedals and focused. Basically there was no stopping. I had passed the point of being able to securely clip out of my pedal, so it was either keep going or fall over. I kept going, and the road slowly leveled out to a flat. We had lost Austin though - he jumped off at some point and walked up. It allowed us some time to recover, which I wasn't going to complain about.
We were warmed up now! From here, we rode on beautiful, winding country roads. There were large freshly planted fields, farms, horses, cattle, pockets of trees...all in very lovely settings. The road continued to go up and down, with some moderate climbs that you had to get out of the saddle for. There were also some great descents. :) I think my bike topped out at 33 mph on this ride.
After a good handful of more short climbs and rolling hills, Austin was struggling. His father stayed with him, and we lost them on a few turns. Rich and I pulled over because we had seen them behind us. But they never came, so Rich doubled back to see what was up. Turns out Austin had had it, and they were heading back. While I waited for Rich to return I took these pictures of the intersection we were at. I really wish I could have taken more pictures while we were on the ride. It was just so gorgeous and peaceful. The only noise was the wind rushing past my ears. These pictures aren't very pretty though.
We headed straight out the road in the last photo, which was Dallasburg. It was a long country road with no middle line :) The hills were great – a set of gentle rollers. Eventually we turned and continued on more of the same. We saw a buzzard off to the field at the right, pretty close to the road.
Coming up on one intersection, another group of cyclists passed us. There were probably about 8 of them, and one pulled up next to Rich and said hi. Rich dropped back and told me that was their racing club. I think it is the Cycle Sport sponsored team. He said they were probably on a recovery ride. It was so cool to see the pack. I wanted to be in it. On this road, Rich and I chatted a bit and road side by side, really closely. That is what roadies do, if you're not drafting. I kept my eyes forward, since I was on the right and closest to the ditch. But it was a pretty neat feeling to be zipping along in unison. Oddly, for a little bit it didn't even feel like we were on bikes, but more like we were just riding on something smooth. I think it might be because side by side, you lose sight of seeing legs going up and down, so you lose that rhythm and just feel the gliding.
Rich showed me how he knew where he was going. There are a few markings on the roads out there to designate routes that clubs have painted on the pavement. The one we were following was the Beers for Gears route, which used three orange dots. Their configuration pointed you in the correct direction before each intersection. Looked like this:
Straight:
Left:
Right:
Yes I photoshopped that. :) So we followed the three orange dots through more amazing scenery, over rolling hills and S-turn roads. I really wish I could have taken pictures! A lot of people were out mowing. Some people were out in their yards doing various yard work. I noticed red cardinals flying in last season's corn fields – the red color popped off of the tannish-yellow so vividly. There were numerous run-down barns that were falling apart (which I really like seeing for some reason). And I saw a few old cars, abandoned and left to rust in the midst of weeds at the back of properties. I saw one man looking at his garden set up. With the combination of the lowering sunlight, the smell of the air, and the quietness, I was reminded multiple times of how evenings were spent where I grew up.
Rich told me about a 400 mile ride he is going to do in May. He turns 60 this year and thought it would be a good way to commemorate that :) It's over 4 days through Ohio. They take a break each 25 miles. Sounds like quite an endeavor! I wonder what the bicycling equivalent to the marathon is. Seems like 100 miles 4 days in a row would be really really hard!
Eventually we came to some pretty big descents as we were heading back down into Morrow. At the end of the one where I glanced at my cyclometer and noted the 33 mph, a steep uphill followed. I wasn't prepared. I was grinning ear to ear after the fun downhill and didn't think about coming out of it. The hill was steep and had me at a crawl very quickly. I was in the wrong gear :( So, tired legs pulled me up the hill. It was another case of either keep going or fall over. I stood up and mashed down hard on each stroke. When I wasn't in a down stroke, my bike was stopped – that is how steep it was. I thought for sure I was going over. I felt my back tire slip a couple of times. My breathing was out of control but I didn't want to fall. Eventually I made it to the top, with Rich way out ahead of me. I slowly recovered, hanging my head out of tiredness. That one did it. I was spent, and I knew it.
That was our last climb, and we soon got to Morrow, where we got back on the bike trail. But first, Rich pointed up to a tree full of buzzards! It was so cool - they were so large and looked like big dark balloons spread out evenly through the treetop. There must have been 20 of them in the tree. Riding through the town, I could tell I had faded a LOT. But I thought that after getting back on the relatively flat trail I would be fine. We spinned along side-by-side, cruising around 16 mph, but this felt hard. I kept dropping back, unable to maintain the pace. And then I got a horrendous stomach cramp on my right side. It didn't feel like anything I had ever felt when running. It hurt to be bent over on the bike and I tried to stretch it out. But it kept getting worse. So we took a little break in South Lebanon. It hurt so bad I was wincing. It was hard to be in that much pain around someone I didn't know. I just wanted to go slowly. Rich offered me some Hammer Gel and just the thought of it nearly made me throw up. That stuff can be rough on your stomach already, so while my stomach is throwing a fit? No thanks. He also offered to go get his car and pick me up. But I felt like that was ridiculous and said I could try to make it closer, but just needed to go slower. So we proceeded, me wincing and grunting while Rich told various stories, probably trying to get my mind off of it. We got to the Powder Factory and I just couldn't do it anymore. I had no idea what was going on, but had a suspicion it was the effort of the ride combined with not enough food eaten in preparation for the ride. I know how much to eat with running, but I'm still learning this whole long ride biking thing! :)
Powder Factory:
So, Rich left me at the Powder Factory parking lot, heading back to the store. I laid down on the bench, but that made me feel like I had drank too much and the room was spinning. So I sat up and then paced. My legs were tight anyway, it was better to keep moving. I paced and stretched, and checked facebook on my phone, played some solitaire, texted people, emailed... where the heck is Rich? 9 miles shouldn't have taken this long. I texted Greg - he was in Loveland at Youth, but I didn't think he'd answer his phone. He did get my stranded messages and came down to provide a warm car for me to sit in while waiting. I don't think my bike would have fit in his car...not with much dismantling of it anyway. Meanwhile I had heard from Rich...he was locked out of the store! So he couldn't get his keys and car, nor could he get a hold of anyone he worked with to let him in, so he called Glen to the rescue. Rich left his bike in Starbucks which is right next door to the shop, and they both came up in Glen's SUV. I felt pretty bad for the inconvenience, but they laughed at the entire evening and what the hills had done to us all. And it's what you do as cyclist – that's why you ride together.
Finally back at my car, we loaded my bike on top and I headed home to take a very long hot shower. I was chilled to the bone. And then I ate and crashed into bed. Recovered now, but wow. Lesson learned. Eat more before a ride like that, and take food along too! That's what that back pocket on my jersey is for! :)
Overall, it was such a great ride! I felt so strong and had a smile on my face the entire way. It was just the last 5 - 10 minutes of it that got ugly. The other couple of hours was amazing. I enjoyed being out in the country and seeing the scenery. I'm glad to know they do rides like this. Gives some nice variety to the boring trail. I am looking forward to the next one. I also learned that there is a women's ride on Fridays that just started up. I may try this out some time. And there are group rides on the weekend from various locations too. Weekend rides would be easier – there would be more time to get it all in rather than cramming it in the few hours of daylight after work.
Yay biking!!
:)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday Morning
ZOMG this entire week looks like it's going to be absolutely beautiful! I hope maybe I can take some time off to enjoy it a little bit. The front beds of the house are crazy weedy/messy. It would be best to get to it now before everything gets mega-established.
I have yet to make my list for the day. Letting the coffee sink in slowly, lol. Here's to a lot of energy to get a lot accomplished today. There is ongoing work, and then there's a lot to figure out with the business. It is a sunny day, which is nice. I feel like the leaves have come in so suddenly – my view of the park across the street is pretty restricted now. I wonder if the leaves on the big trees outside my window will have an effect on the light in my studio. Right now it looks like this.
I have my space heater on this morning, it was chilly when I got here. But it will definitely warm up this afternoon with the sun. I'm looking forward to a bike ride this evening.
Off to productivity.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Week
Often time seems to change its pace, and I don't know how the days pass so quickly. That is what last week feels like to me.
This past week hasn't been too great on the exercise front, so I have some work to do this week. I am hoping to go on the long group bike ride Monday night. Hopefully I'll get a few good runs in too, including Track Tuesday. Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon, so I am going to follow the couple of people I know that are doing it.
Tonight I got an email from the Girls on the Run Running Buddy Coordinator. She explained the next steps I need to do to become a running buddy for the 5K race that is May 8th. I thought that maybe I just didn't get in since it was late in the season kind of, but looks like I may get to be partnered up with someone for the race, and I also might be able to do one of the practice training runs with the girl. So I need to fill out some paperwork for a background check and then I'll hopefully be paired up.
This past week hasn't been too great on the exercise front, so I have some work to do this week. I am hoping to go on the long group bike ride Monday night. Hopefully I'll get a few good runs in too, including Track Tuesday. Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon, so I am going to follow the couple of people I know that are doing it.
Tonight I got an email from the Girls on the Run Running Buddy Coordinator. She explained the next steps I need to do to become a running buddy for the 5K race that is May 8th. I thought that maybe I just didn't get in since it was late in the season kind of, but looks like I may get to be partnered up with someone for the race, and I also might be able to do one of the practice training runs with the girl. So I need to fill out some paperwork for a background check and then I'll hopefully be paired up.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Kickball!
Tonight is our first kickball game - woohoo!
I am super looking forward to it, think it will be a lot of fun. I haven't played kickball in years. I have very fond memories of elementary school kickball games at recess. I think sometimes we started planning it before we even went outside. I recall running out to the wooden shed that was right outside the back door. The shed was where we had band, and I think maybe other stuff was held in there.
In this photo, the shed is gone. (Found these pictures on Facebook!) The shed would be about where the cars are, starting at the left most vehicle and going to probably the car between the vans.
We would line up on the side of the shed that faced out towards the playground and pick teams. The home base was on the right side of the photo. There were yellow square bases painted on the parking lot.
Another pic of the back of the school. And that short wall on the left was the wall you stood on if your name was on the board with 2 checks! :)
After picking teams, we'd take our positions and play. Craig Schauer was always one of the best. And Marvin was good too. I'm not sure how many girls played freely at recess, but I know me and my friend Krista would play. I think I remember that sometimes a group would already be playing. Can't remember if we joined their teams or just did something else. We used to play in gym class as well. It seems like it was always a free day kind of activity, rather than part of a unit. I remember playing inside in the gym, I suppose when it was raining. It was always a big deal to kick the ball so hard and high that you hit the ceiling and made some of it fall down. It was coated with that mustard-yellow insulation-looking stuff.
Here's a picture of the gym, not a very good one though. But you can kind of see the ceiling, and just how tiny it is! Note the little rows of bleachers on the left. We ate lunch in the half of the gym shown here. That wooden floor was awesome. I remember playing floor scooter hockey in the gym and getting my fingers pinched a lot.
Anyway, kickball rocks! I wonder if elementary school memories will just come flooding back into my head after the first kick.... ;)
I am super looking forward to it, think it will be a lot of fun. I haven't played kickball in years. I have very fond memories of elementary school kickball games at recess. I think sometimes we started planning it before we even went outside. I recall running out to the wooden shed that was right outside the back door. The shed was where we had band, and I think maybe other stuff was held in there.
In this photo, the shed is gone. (Found these pictures on Facebook!) The shed would be about where the cars are, starting at the left most vehicle and going to probably the car between the vans.
We would line up on the side of the shed that faced out towards the playground and pick teams. The home base was on the right side of the photo. There were yellow square bases painted on the parking lot.
Another pic of the back of the school. And that short wall on the left was the wall you stood on if your name was on the board with 2 checks! :)
After picking teams, we'd take our positions and play. Craig Schauer was always one of the best. And Marvin was good too. I'm not sure how many girls played freely at recess, but I know me and my friend Krista would play. I think I remember that sometimes a group would already be playing. Can't remember if we joined their teams or just did something else. We used to play in gym class as well. It seems like it was always a free day kind of activity, rather than part of a unit. I remember playing inside in the gym, I suppose when it was raining. It was always a big deal to kick the ball so hard and high that you hit the ceiling and made some of it fall down. It was coated with that mustard-yellow insulation-looking stuff.
Here's a picture of the gym, not a very good one though. But you can kind of see the ceiling, and just how tiny it is! Note the little rows of bleachers on the left. We ate lunch in the half of the gym shown here. That wooden floor was awesome. I remember playing floor scooter hockey in the gym and getting my fingers pinched a lot.
Anyway, kickball rocks! I wonder if elementary school memories will just come flooding back into my head after the first kick.... ;)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Air and Track Night
Blog readers, meet Puffs Plus. Puffs Plus, meet blog readers:
I've always had bad, year-round allergies. But really, it's not a horrendous suffering. There are far worse things to suffer in life. Don't let the whiney seasonal allergy sufferers kid you ;) However, it certainly can be annoying. And it does effect the days. I get tired and worn out a little more from them, depending on what the allergen is. Right now it's the damn trees getting their leaf action on. The driveway is turning yellow. My car is turning green (yellow + blue make green! - thanks ziploc!) I brush the dogs off before they come inside. And today I gave my lungs a great workout in this lovely pollen-filled air.
Roman and I met at the track, and there was no meet (we have found a full schedule online now!) We warmed up for about a mile. Then I did 10 x 100 repeats with 100 walk recovery. The second to last one was rough. The last one was pretty rough too, but for some reason the second to last was worse. Then we jogged 800 as a cool down, which wasn't working as a cool down for me. So we walked 800 after that and that worked.
Stretching beforehand. Tiny ponytail.
A shoe's-eye view of the fake turf.
While we were there, the kids from a Catholic church in Mason popped up again. But this time I think it was their entire 2nd and 3rd grades or something. They totally took over, but it was funny. Some of them did 4 x 100 relays. We were cooling down at this point, so we just made sure to stay in lanes 7 and 8 as they ran past. One girl was running with her baton and decided she didn't want to carry it anymore, so she stuck it down the front of her shirt! There was quite a hoard of them, all doing different activities around the track and football field.
This isn't even a third of them.
Overall, it was a good workout. I was steady. I'm not so sure about this "sprinting" thing. I hope it will help in making me stronger. It's just hard - Roman's 800 repeat pace was my 100 repeat pace. But I have to start somewhere.
I've always had bad, year-round allergies. But really, it's not a horrendous suffering. There are far worse things to suffer in life. Don't let the whiney seasonal allergy sufferers kid you ;) However, it certainly can be annoying. And it does effect the days. I get tired and worn out a little more from them, depending on what the allergen is. Right now it's the damn trees getting their leaf action on. The driveway is turning yellow. My car is turning green (yellow + blue make green! - thanks ziploc!) I brush the dogs off before they come inside. And today I gave my lungs a great workout in this lovely pollen-filled air.
Roman and I met at the track, and there was no meet (we have found a full schedule online now!) We warmed up for about a mile. Then I did 10 x 100 repeats with 100 walk recovery. The second to last one was rough. The last one was pretty rough too, but for some reason the second to last was worse. Then we jogged 800 as a cool down, which wasn't working as a cool down for me. So we walked 800 after that and that worked.
Stretching beforehand. Tiny ponytail.
A shoe's-eye view of the fake turf.
While we were there, the kids from a Catholic church in Mason popped up again. But this time I think it was their entire 2nd and 3rd grades or something. They totally took over, but it was funny. Some of them did 4 x 100 relays. We were cooling down at this point, so we just made sure to stay in lanes 7 and 8 as they ran past. One girl was running with her baton and decided she didn't want to carry it anymore, so she stuck it down the front of her shirt! There was quite a hoard of them, all doing different activities around the track and football field.
This isn't even a third of them.
Overall, it was a good workout. I was steady. I'm not so sure about this "sprinting" thing. I hope it will help in making me stronger. It's just hard - Roman's 800 repeat pace was my 100 repeat pace. But I have to start somewhere.
Track Tuesday.
I am fueled with pasta and water for what I hope to be a very good workout this evening.
I walked into downtown for some lunch at the Works. It was good - Vegetarian Wearing a Bowtie is the pasta dish I ate. I downed two glasses of water and tried to surf some unreliable interwebs connection before heading back to the lonely studio. If the interwebs had been working, I could have stayed there all afternoon and worked. They were blaring a great Sirius channel and had the garage door open, so there was plenty of fresh (pollen-filled) air.
It is a gorgeous day. The empty planter boxes along the bridge across the river reminded me that this is a very nice early spring we're having - it's not even May!
This is a piece of the park that I have a partial view of from my studio window. It suddenly is very much in bloom.
The bits of pollen-carriers cast off from the trees fell in nice randomness on this bench.
Tonight I think I will do 100s again. I did 8 last time, so maybe this time I'll see about 10. And see about making them all 22 seconds. There isn't such a strong wind this week- yay!
I walked into downtown for some lunch at the Works. It was good - Vegetarian Wearing a Bowtie is the pasta dish I ate. I downed two glasses of water and tried to surf some unreliable interwebs connection before heading back to the lonely studio. If the interwebs had been working, I could have stayed there all afternoon and worked. They were blaring a great Sirius channel and had the garage door open, so there was plenty of fresh (pollen-filled) air.
It is a gorgeous day. The empty planter boxes along the bridge across the river reminded me that this is a very nice early spring we're having - it's not even May!
This is a piece of the park that I have a partial view of from my studio window. It suddenly is very much in bloom.
The bits of pollen-carriers cast off from the trees fell in nice randomness on this bench.
Tonight I think I will do 100s again. I did 8 last time, so maybe this time I'll see about 10. And see about making them all 22 seconds. There isn't such a strong wind this week- yay!
Weekend of Relaxing, Except for Taxes
I haven't really done anything since Thursday's weights. But the weekend was full of fun activities and getting outside to enjoy the awesome weather.
Saturday we went to Keeneland - a horse race track down in Lexington. It was really fun, but also crowded enough that it was tricky to handle deciding on which horse to bet, getting in line to bet, then getting back out to watch and see the race in the general admission zones. Thank goodness for the very large screen in the middle of the field. Without that and the announcer, it would have been very hard to tell what was going on during the race.
The track, empty. Tractors pulling discs raked the field between each race. Also, the screens had all of the updated betting information on them.
The screen, and a jockey on a horse going by heading to the start (I think).
The circles where all of the next race's horses were paraded before heading out. Each had its own circle to walk in until dizzy.
As we were leaving, we saw the...well I don't know what it's called, but I'll call it the Jockey Launching Ceremony. The horses were brought over and then the jockeys were launched up onto the horses and then headed out to the track.
I know nothing about horse racing, math or horses. So this was a very interesting and mind-boggling experience all at the same time. I did win $48.20 on Disco Troop during the 4th or 5th race I believe, so that was fun. It was so fascinating to see the horses' bodies. They are amazing creatures.
Sunday we played disc golf - the first of the year for me. I didn't suck as bad as I thought I would. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and there were a lot of people out enjoying it. I was happy to get a little bit of enjoyment in before I had to go back inside and work on taxes.
Saturday we went to Keeneland - a horse race track down in Lexington. It was really fun, but also crowded enough that it was tricky to handle deciding on which horse to bet, getting in line to bet, then getting back out to watch and see the race in the general admission zones. Thank goodness for the very large screen in the middle of the field. Without that and the announcer, it would have been very hard to tell what was going on during the race.
The track, empty. Tractors pulling discs raked the field between each race. Also, the screens had all of the updated betting information on them.
The screen, and a jockey on a horse going by heading to the start (I think).
The circles where all of the next race's horses were paraded before heading out. Each had its own circle to walk in until dizzy.
As we were leaving, we saw the...well I don't know what it's called, but I'll call it the Jockey Launching Ceremony. The horses were brought over and then the jockeys were launched up onto the horses and then headed out to the track.
I know nothing about horse racing, math or horses. So this was a very interesting and mind-boggling experience all at the same time. I did win $48.20 on Disco Troop during the 4th or 5th race I believe, so that was fun. It was so fascinating to see the horses' bodies. They are amazing creatures.
Sunday we played disc golf - the first of the year for me. I didn't suck as bad as I thought I would. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and there were a lot of people out enjoying it. I was happy to get a little bit of enjoyment in before I had to go back inside and work on taxes.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Strength Time
I need to get stronger. Period.
So I'm going to seriously try to get in a couple of strength and core sessions each week. It won't happen without that.
Today I lifted and did a little bit of core stuff. It was an overall kind of circuit: bicep curls, rows, triceps, chest presses, lateral raises. Then I did a few planks, that were only about 10 seconds each. And side ab reaches. It was all kind of haphazard. I feel great right now!
Some stuff was done on the big orange ball. I'd really like to just kick it once. Just once.
So I'm going to seriously try to get in a couple of strength and core sessions each week. It won't happen without that.
Today I lifted and did a little bit of core stuff. It was an overall kind of circuit: bicep curls, rows, triceps, chest presses, lateral raises. Then I did a few planks, that were only about 10 seconds each. And side ab reaches. It was all kind of haphazard. I feel great right now!
Some stuff was done on the big orange ball. I'd really like to just kick it once. Just once.
Wednesday's 2 Miles of Pain
Balsamic Vinegrette + run = stomach pain
That is my only conclusion from my run Wednesday, which wasn't too good. It was windy and warm and I set out on a solo, easy recovery run. But immediately my stomach protested, so I got through 2 miles and then bagged it. Oh well!
Today I'm giving running a rest and hopping on the bike. It's raining all day I think, so it will just be an easy trainer day. Perhaps some Spinflixing is in order.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday Track Night - hot and windy
I warmed up with a mile. Roman joined me half way through, then Greg arrived. It was so windy. The first straight felt like someone was pushing you along. Then as you rounded the curve, the cross-wind pushed you to the far edge of the lane. And then you had to battle into the wind on the back stretch. Fun!
We all did the same workout, though Greg and Roman were off together in speedy-land running theirs. 8 x 100 with 100 rest intervals. I walked those. I felt strong and fresh for each 100. Never slowed down through the course of all 8, so that's good. The time was somewhere between 22- 23 seconds for each, which is slow, so that's a nice benchmark to start the season. I cooled down with another 1 mile jog around the track, but I never really felt like I recovered. My breathing never was under control. It could be because of my allergies I suppose.
Overall, it was a good workout, and I'm glad we're underway with our group track session. Now to figure out how to get more people to come...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Track Night Tonight
I didn't get to bike this past weekend as I had hoped. But then I didn't get to go on the Monday night ride either. I need to bike in between going 34+ miles!
Friday I ran back to the street that everyone test drives their cars on (it's near the dealerships). It's a nice relatively flat stretch of road lined with hotels and offices. I thought it would make a nice environment for some impromptu speedwork. It was about 8 minutes to jog over to the spot. I was carrying water, which was very annoying. I forgot how much I hate that. Then I ran for about a minute fast-ish. It definitely wasn't a sprint, but was faster than 5K pace for sure. Then I walked. I did this 6 times. I was tired. I don't know if it was the heat or just being Friday, but 6 was all I felt like doing.
Saturday I worked. Sunday was Easter. I did manage to run around in the back yard playing various tag games with the hubby's family. Freeze tag - when's the last time you've played it!?
Monday I had to meet Greg at the Apple store for him to get his new phone, so I didn't do the 5:30 bike ride. I was planning to go home and set the bike up on the back porch and ride for a while, but by the time I got home from the grocery store – actually while I was getting home from the grocery store – a good thunderstorm rolled in. So I watched a movie instead, with intermittent power outages and one spectacular lightning show. I suppose the actual ride would have been pretty miserable and interrupted by the storm.
Tonight is track night... I've called the school and listened to a hotline and there supposedly isn't a track meet tonight. Then I also noticed the school is on spring break this week, so we should have no problems!! Now I just need some good energy lunch...
Friday I ran back to the street that everyone test drives their cars on (it's near the dealerships). It's a nice relatively flat stretch of road lined with hotels and offices. I thought it would make a nice environment for some impromptu speedwork. It was about 8 minutes to jog over to the spot. I was carrying water, which was very annoying. I forgot how much I hate that. Then I ran for about a minute fast-ish. It definitely wasn't a sprint, but was faster than 5K pace for sure. Then I walked. I did this 6 times. I was tired. I don't know if it was the heat or just being Friday, but 6 was all I felt like doing.
Saturday I worked. Sunday was Easter. I did manage to run around in the back yard playing various tag games with the hubby's family. Freeze tag - when's the last time you've played it!?
Monday I had to meet Greg at the Apple store for him to get his new phone, so I didn't do the 5:30 bike ride. I was planning to go home and set the bike up on the back porch and ride for a while, but by the time I got home from the grocery store – actually while I was getting home from the grocery store – a good thunderstorm rolled in. So I watched a movie instead, with intermittent power outages and one spectacular lightning show. I suppose the actual ride would have been pretty miserable and interrupted by the storm.
Tonight is track night... I've called the school and listened to a hotline and there supposedly isn't a track meet tonight. Then I also noticed the school is on spring break this week, so we should have no problems!! Now I just need some good energy lunch...
Friday, April 2, 2010
Weather. It's Nice.
This week has been sooooooo great weather-wise. And I also have been pretty happy with my consistency in exercising.
Monday was the epic bike ride, longest ever and beginnings of a new realm of cycling.
Tuesday we tried to have our first track night of the season, but it was converted into a 3 mile run in the park thanks to a track meet.
Wednesday I was very tired. Not sore, but just worn out. So a rest day.
Thursday I ran with Krista after work... ended up being a 45 minute chunk of activity, but we didn't run the entire time because we were both so tired. It was also very warm!
Today. Is. Gorgeous. I'm getting out to do something, be it a run or hopefully squeezing in a bike ride. I'm leaning more towards run because I'll have plenty of time to go on a bike ride tomorrow. Today I'm busy with work and the yard also needs mowed!!
So this is definitely more like it! :)
Monday was the epic bike ride, longest ever and beginnings of a new realm of cycling.
Tuesday we tried to have our first track night of the season, but it was converted into a 3 mile run in the park thanks to a track meet.
Wednesday I was very tired. Not sore, but just worn out. So a rest day.
Thursday I ran with Krista after work... ended up being a 45 minute chunk of activity, but we didn't run the entire time because we were both so tired. It was also very warm!
Today. Is. Gorgeous. I'm getting out to do something, be it a run or hopefully squeezing in a bike ride. I'm leaning more towards run because I'll have plenty of time to go on a bike ride tomorrow. Today I'm busy with work and the yard also needs mowed!!
So this is definitely more like it! :)
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