First thing I did when I arrived home was plug in the garmin and check out my pace(s) from last nights run.
Recoveries 1, 2, 3, and 4: Average pace 11:04 (all dead even)
Recoveries 5 and 6: Walk
Interval 1 and 4: Both 6:06 pace
Intervals 2, 3, 5, and 6: All 6:41 pace
Do you have any idea what kind of mechanics it takes to move this much weight that fast? Now I know why I felt like shit!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Rookie
I'm at work. Schedule called for 6 x 30/30. Started the session with five easy minutes on the elliptical machine to warm up. During the run I pushed the pace too far and had to walk recoveries 5 and 6. Managed to have an average pace of 8:46, including the one minute of walking.
The run was followed up with an upper-body workout.
Stats:
Mileage: 0.69 mile
Time: 6:03 -- 8:46 pace
Erin said her knee is sore and also "locking up??". I told her to switch her running and biking days in order to rest her knee an extra 24-hours. Since I'm not home, that would have resulted in her using the recumbent bike, which she hates. Erin decided to complete the scheduled speed training, but on the treadmill and at a slower pace. She said everything went well. Hopefully she is only experiencing aches and pains associated with the rebuilding of muscles around her knee.
Erin Stats:
Mileage: .060 mile
Time: 6:00 minutes -- 9:05 average pace
6 x 30-seconds @ 4.5 mph, 30-seconds @ 7.0 mph
The run was followed up with an upper-body workout.
Stats:
Mileage: 0.69 mile
Time: 6:03 -- 8:46 pace
Erin said her knee is sore and also "locking up??". I told her to switch her running and biking days in order to rest her knee an extra 24-hours. Since I'm not home, that would have resulted in her using the recumbent bike, which she hates. Erin decided to complete the scheduled speed training, but on the treadmill and at a slower pace. She said everything went well. Hopefully she is only experiencing aches and pains associated with the rebuilding of muscles around her knee.
Erin Stats:
Mileage: .060 mile
Time: 6:00 minutes -- 9:05 average pace
6 x 30-seconds @ 4.5 mph, 30-seconds @ 7.0 mph
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Rained out
Double digit ride on my mountain bike. Caught by the rain at 7 miles, which was the furthest point from my house. At least the temps felt good!
Stats:
Mileage: 13.26 miles
Time: 1:13:25 -- 10.9 mph
Stats:
Mileage: 13.26 miles
Time: 1:13:25 -- 10.9 mph
Monday, August 27, 2007
No title
Not much to blog. Uneventful run for me. Erin said her legs are tired. She also said she took one short walk break.
Stats:
Mileage: 1.01 mile
Time: 10:06 -- 10:00 pace
Erin Stats:
Mileage: 1.01 mile
Time: 10:47 -- 10:41 pace
Bike tidbit:
Shimano Dura-Ace STI shifters.
Shimano Dura-Ace front and rear derailleur
Stats:
Mileage: 1.01 mile
Time: 10:06 -- 10:00 pace
Erin Stats:
Mileage: 1.01 mile
Time: 10:47 -- 10:41 pace
Bike tidbit:
Shimano Dura-Ace STI shifters.
Shimano Dura-Ace front and rear derailleur
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Bike
Not sure why, but forty miles on the bike kicked my ass. Steve Cantu and I bike our familiar Kingwood>Duessin Park>Crosby>Lake Houston>Atascocita>Kingwood route. Maybe it was the multiple surges early in the ride. Lots of other cyclist out. Late in the ride, we joined two other riders for six miles. Each of us took our turn at the helm. In the end, they dropped us with their 20++ mph pace. I'm sure this helped their ego, they too had been dropped from a larger, faster pod of riders as well.
I still had a great day. I've come to realize something...
I look forward to biking. I have fun, no matter the weather or pace. Unfortunately, cycling lacks the post activity "high" that you get after a good run. Maybe I'm not biking hard enough? On the other hand, I almost always dread running. Its a motivation issue. Once I get out the door, everything is fine. More times than none, I enjoy the time outside running, but its simply a matter of getting started. Just my observations. hmmmmm???
Stats:
Mileage: 38.40 miles
Time: 2:240:26 -- 15.08 mph
New bike tid-bit:
Cane Creek SCR-3 brakeset
Easton Circuit 700c Wheelset
I still had a great day. I've come to realize something...
I look forward to biking. I have fun, no matter the weather or pace. Unfortunately, cycling lacks the post activity "high" that you get after a good run. Maybe I'm not biking hard enough? On the other hand, I almost always dread running. Its a motivation issue. Once I get out the door, everything is fine. More times than none, I enjoy the time outside running, but its simply a matter of getting started. Just my observations. hmmmmm???
Stats:
Mileage: 38.40 miles
Time: 2:240:26 -- 15.08 mph
New bike tid-bit:
Cane Creek SCR-3 brakeset
Easton Circuit 700c Wheelset
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Not so "long run"
Another Great run.
In an attempt to beat the heat, Erin and I started our run at 6:30am. Two-miles along the lake. Dual strollers, dual pace. Mile one and two separated in time by ONE SECOND.
OUR stats:
Mileage: 2.07 miles
Time: 26:23 -- 12:45 pace
Over the next several post, I'm going to spend time throwing out little tidbits about my new bike. I'm very proud of it!
Frame: Custom butted Altair 2 aluminum with Power-Diamond down tube. High Modulus carbon seat stays with aluminum chain stays. Forged dropout with replaceable derailleur hanger. Dual bottle mounts.
Fork: Full Carbon Monocoque integrated 1-1/8"
In an attempt to beat the heat, Erin and I started our run at 6:30am. Two-miles along the lake. Dual strollers, dual pace. Mile one and two separated in time by ONE SECOND.
OUR stats:
Mileage: 2.07 miles
Time: 26:23 -- 12:45 pace
Over the next several post, I'm going to spend time throwing out little tidbits about my new bike. I'm very proud of it!
Frame: Custom butted Altair 2 aluminum with Power-Diamond down tube. High Modulus carbon seat stays with aluminum chain stays. Forged dropout with replaceable derailleur hanger. Dual bottle mounts.
Fork: Full Carbon Monocoque integrated 1-1/8"
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Blog re-released
Sure, I'm wishy-washy. Probably even lost a few readers when I set permissions on my blog. There again, no one had permission. I didn't want to delete the blog, but I didn't want it on the blogospere either. I've had a few beers since then and everything is better.
You'll notice a few minor changes. The first item axed was the picture of me sub-200 pounds. Also axed any goals that had a time constraint. Axed the monthly cycle and running mileage. Did a little renaming and added a new "introduction".
Blog rules:
No more pinching my post without consent. Actually, I don't care.... just give me the opportunity to clean it up and make it appear that I graduated elementary school. My blog is and will always be my informal thoughts and ramblings. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about grammatical errors, which is why I feel like an idiot when I see it in print. There I said it, hope there isn't any hard feelings.
So, there you go. Read it, don't read it.... I don't care. I'm going to try and make this MY blog and not what I think people want to see or read.
You'll notice a few minor changes. The first item axed was the picture of me sub-200 pounds. Also axed any goals that had a time constraint. Axed the monthly cycle and running mileage. Did a little renaming and added a new "introduction".
Blog rules:
No more pinching my post without consent. Actually, I don't care.... just give me the opportunity to clean it up and make it appear that I graduated elementary school. My blog is and will always be my informal thoughts and ramblings. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about grammatical errors, which is why I feel like an idiot when I see it in print. There I said it, hope there isn't any hard feelings.
So, there you go. Read it, don't read it.... I don't care. I'm going to try and make this MY blog and not what I think people want to see or read.
Dueling Strollers for speed
What a great run. Tonight Erin saw a sneak preview of speedwork. I had Alison in one stroller, while she pushed Preston in the other stroller.
5 x 30/30 - (9.5 effort/recovery jog)
Its hard to believe, but the garmin shows all five, 30 second intervals ranged from 6:30-7:15 pace. Average pace on the recovery was ~12:00. Average pace was 8:58. Not too sure about that number.... I left the garmin running and now I'm confused. That's the number I get after I plugged everything into my training software.
We ran a straight line. Only managed to gain 30-yards on Erin... shes a much stronger runner than I had assumed. We did lots of stretching and an extended walk, but soon we will start a formal warm-up and cool-down. Like I keep saying, we're taking baby steps.
My Stats:
Mileage: ~0.50 mile??
Time: 5 minutes
Erin Stats:
Mileage: ~0.499999 miles
Time: 5 minutes
5 x 30/30 - (9.5 effort/recovery jog)
Its hard to believe, but the garmin shows all five, 30 second intervals ranged from 6:30-7:15 pace. Average pace on the recovery was ~12:00. Average pace was 8:58. Not too sure about that number.... I left the garmin running and now I'm confused. That's the number I get after I plugged everything into my training software.
We ran a straight line. Only managed to gain 30-yards on Erin... shes a much stronger runner than I had assumed. We did lots of stretching and an extended walk, but soon we will start a formal warm-up and cool-down. Like I keep saying, we're taking baby steps.
My Stats:
Mileage: ~0.50 mile??
Time: 5 minutes
Erin Stats:
Mileage: ~0.499999 miles
Time: 5 minutes
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wednesday Biking
First opportunity to ride my new bike.
The new in-line brakes are perfect and make for an enjoyable ride. Actually the first three miles sucked. I couldn't maintain any speed and I was tiring faster than normal. I knew something was not right, so I pulled over to check everything out. I was relieved to find the problem was minor.... the front brake pad was rubbing against the wheel set. Upon closer inspection, it had rubbed hard enough to cover the front right fork in brake dust. After I made a small adjustment the ride was like greased lighting. At the stop my average speed was 12.9 mph, which I improved to 14.3 mph. I can only assume my average pace would have been greater than 15 mph without the problem.
Mileage: 15.03 miles
Time: 1:03:00 -- 14.3 mph
Erin Stats:
Mileage: Unknown
Time: 30 minutes
Erin said she pushed harder than her usual leisure ride, which was evident by the amount of sweat pouring off her when she returned home.
The new in-line brakes are perfect and make for an enjoyable ride. Actually the first three miles sucked. I couldn't maintain any speed and I was tiring faster than normal. I knew something was not right, so I pulled over to check everything out. I was relieved to find the problem was minor.... the front brake pad was rubbing against the wheel set. Upon closer inspection, it had rubbed hard enough to cover the front right fork in brake dust. After I made a small adjustment the ride was like greased lighting. At the stop my average speed was 12.9 mph, which I improved to 14.3 mph. I can only assume my average pace would have been greater than 15 mph without the problem.
Stuff I like better about my new bike:
- Seat is more comfortable.
- More control in turns.
- A lot better braking.
- Faster speed in smaller gears.
Mileage: 15.03 miles
Time: 1:03:00 -- 14.3 mph
Erin Stats:
Mileage: Unknown
Time: 30 minutes
Erin said she pushed harder than her usual leisure ride, which was evident by the amount of sweat pouring off her when she returned home.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Still on Schedule
First run of the week, which is 50% of the prior long run distance. Once again Erin and I did our runs on the streets, after dark. Its motivating knowing Erin is training with me, even though we aren't running together.
My stomach was upset after dinner, but it settled enough to hit the streets. If Erin wouldn't have run I surely would have skipped today's session. Glad everything aligned, because I had an excellent run. The mega-short distance was awesome, which was highlighted with a nice breeze outside.
Erin played the typical role of super-mom. Try picturing this: Alison joined her on a scooter, while she pushed Preston in the jogging stroller, and if that's not enough.... she had the dog on the leash. I have no idea how she did it, but she did.
Speaking of Erin, she committed to the HARRA Cross Country Relay. After informing Coach Steeeve, he elected to group me, Erin, Kevin, and Lynn together. Ought to be FUN!
My stats:
Mileage: 0.77 mile
Time: 7:56 -- 10:18 pace
Erin Stats:
Mileage: 0.77 mile
Time: Unknown
This morning the scale revealed that I am 24 pounds away from my all time high. Even though the data is depressing, I'm not interested in starting a diet for another week or two. Wait, I take that back. I'll keep a watchful eye and definitely try to consume more water. Right now, its one thing at a time. I'm in search of a training regimen that will fit my life before adding dietary restrictions.
My stomach was upset after dinner, but it settled enough to hit the streets. If Erin wouldn't have run I surely would have skipped today's session. Glad everything aligned, because I had an excellent run. The mega-short distance was awesome, which was highlighted with a nice breeze outside.
Erin played the typical role of super-mom. Try picturing this: Alison joined her on a scooter, while she pushed Preston in the jogging stroller, and if that's not enough.... she had the dog on the leash. I have no idea how she did it, but she did.
Speaking of Erin, she committed to the HARRA Cross Country Relay. After informing Coach Steeeve, he elected to group me, Erin, Kevin, and Lynn together. Ought to be FUN!
My stats:
Mileage: 0.77 mile
Time: 7:56 -- 10:18 pace
Erin Stats:
Mileage: 0.77 mile
Time: Unknown
This morning the scale revealed that I am 24 pounds away from my all time high. Even though the data is depressing, I'm not interested in starting a diet for another week or two. Wait, I take that back. I'll keep a watchful eye and definitely try to consume more water. Right now, its one thing at a time. I'm in search of a training regimen that will fit my life before adding dietary restrictions.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
We Started!
Erin and I officially started training for the Houston half-marathon today. Both of us ran on the streets of Kingwood after dark.
My stats:
Mileage: 1.5 miles
Time: 15:03 -- 10:02 pace
Erin stats:
Mileage: 1.44 miles
Time: Unknown
You'll see lots of changes in this blog, while I determine what I want and do not want.
Last night I stayed up for more than 2-hours working on a generic running schedule. I've read enough to know the basics, so I decided to design a program to fit our hectic life.
The base is three days of running. Each weekend will include a long run. The second run of the week will be 50% of the long run distance. The third run will be some type of quality run, such as 30/30's, tempo, or 400's at the track. Most of the speed work will be short and fun, yet performance based.
Four weeks of ramping up will be followed by a recovery week. Normally this would be every third week, but the mileage is low, so our bodies won't need as much recovery.
Erin will add one day of leisure biking to complete four days of exercise. I'll add two days of cycling. One will be 15-25 miles with some speed play and the other will be 40+ miles. Cycling will also ramp up, with the exception of recovery weeks.... which has no cycling for Erin and only one ride for me.
My stats:
Mileage: 1.5 miles
Time: 15:03 -- 10:02 pace
Erin stats:
Mileage: 1.44 miles
Time: Unknown
You'll see lots of changes in this blog, while I determine what I want and do not want.
Last night I stayed up for more than 2-hours working on a generic running schedule. I've read enough to know the basics, so I decided to design a program to fit our hectic life.
The base is three days of running. Each weekend will include a long run. The second run of the week will be 50% of the long run distance. The third run will be some type of quality run, such as 30/30's, tempo, or 400's at the track. Most of the speed work will be short and fun, yet performance based.
Four weeks of ramping up will be followed by a recovery week. Normally this would be every third week, but the mileage is low, so our bodies won't need as much recovery.
Erin will add one day of leisure biking to complete four days of exercise. I'll add two days of cycling. One will be 15-25 miles with some speed play and the other will be 40+ miles. Cycling will also ramp up, with the exception of recovery weeks.... which has no cycling for Erin and only one ride for me.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Chance meeting
I always seem to run into talented runners. Take today for example. For more than a month, I've been looking for an used trampoline for Alison. I located one on CraigsList. The gentleman I was talking to was in Arkansas and was acting as the middle man for his mother.... who lived in Kingwood.
When I arrived at her house the woman told me I was emailing her son in Arkansas, to which I replied, "Yeah he told me he was out of the state". While we were negotiating a price, she told me she had initially purchased the trampoline for her daughter who later took an interest in Cross Country. This started a long discussion of her VERY talented kids who all run. Her oldest son (the one located in Arkansas) ran both Cross Country and Track for Kingwood High. Her and her younger son told me about his blazing 4:09 mile PR and how he was an all-state runner. Currently, he is running for Arkansas on a full scholarship.
Her daughter was a Kingwood cheerleader, before trying out for the girls cross country team. With no experience she placed 15th and immediately dropped cheerleading. If you know anything about Kingwood girls Cross Country, you probably know they are the State "Big-dogs". I can only imagine how impressive her times must be for her to place 15th without any formal training.
Her younger son was helping me disassemble the trampoline and seemed to be very excited just to talk about track. Subsequently, he knew all kinds of numbers/times about his older brother and sister. Just to see how aware he was of running, I asked him, "What did you think of Ryan Hall breaking the American record here in Houston?". He replied, "I can't wait till I'm old enough to run the half". For him to recognise the name and the distance, I knew this was a serious running family.
After that I kind-of stayed quiet. It would have seemed silly for this big ole 240-pounder to say, I run too.
Anyways, I just thought this was cool. I might have been talking to the mother of the next great American Runner.
When I arrived at her house the woman told me I was emailing her son in Arkansas, to which I replied, "Yeah he told me he was out of the state". While we were negotiating a price, she told me she had initially purchased the trampoline for her daughter who later took an interest in Cross Country. This started a long discussion of her VERY talented kids who all run. Her oldest son (the one located in Arkansas) ran both Cross Country and Track for Kingwood High. Her and her younger son told me about his blazing 4:09 mile PR and how he was an all-state runner. Currently, he is running for Arkansas on a full scholarship.
Her daughter was a Kingwood cheerleader, before trying out for the girls cross country team. With no experience she placed 15th and immediately dropped cheerleading. If you know anything about Kingwood girls Cross Country, you probably know they are the State "Big-dogs". I can only imagine how impressive her times must be for her to place 15th without any formal training.
Her younger son was helping me disassemble the trampoline and seemed to be very excited just to talk about track. Subsequently, he knew all kinds of numbers/times about his older brother and sister. Just to see how aware he was of running, I asked him, "What did you think of Ryan Hall breaking the American record here in Houston?". He replied, "I can't wait till I'm old enough to run the half". For him to recognise the name and the distance, I knew this was a serious running family.
After that I kind-of stayed quiet. It would have seemed silly for this big ole 240-pounder to say, I run too.
Anyways, I just thought this was cool. I might have been talking to the mother of the next great American Runner.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Overdue update
Hello. Its been so long since I made a post, I had to think about my log-in password!
This is going to be short. Preston still has his days and nights backwards. That means mom and dad hardly ever sleep. To compound matters, we have been busier than normal at work. As I told another friend, I'm knocking on the door of death by way of exhaustion. I haven't had the energy to do anything that is not a must do. Right now the must do list is short and only includes work and family. No more, no less.
Very little, if any running in a couple weeks. I'm starting to worry if a winter marathon is possible. I wanna run, but I just can't find the time. A few days ago I squeezed in a 18.5 mile bike ride with a friend. We did 4 x 0.50 mile sprints. The overall average was a wimpy 13 mph because we were on the Greenbelts, but the sprints were a manly 26-29 mph on a long straightaway. The effort was all out. The last interval was the fastest, which resulted in me getting off my bike and puking in someones yard. Yeah, that's gross, but the effort level felt great afterwards.
I'm sure a lot of you are wondering about the contest between Vic and I. Yes, Mr. Vic won and Mrs. Bill lost. Congrats on your weight loss Vic, you look good and did a great job. As for the "dress", I spoke with Vic and we made an arrangement. I was scheduled to work the same day as the opening day of SMART training. unfourtantley, I was not able to take off becasue I used nearly all my vacation and sick time with my knee surgery and Preston's hospitalization. Anyways, I told Vic I would supply him with a picture of me in a dress and he can do whatever he want with it. In fact, this morning I made the embarrassing dress purchase. URG! And yes, it sucked!
I have to admit, I'm a bit lost right now. But as usual, I'll find my way and everything will be a-okay very soon.
This is going to be short. Preston still has his days and nights backwards. That means mom and dad hardly ever sleep. To compound matters, we have been busier than normal at work. As I told another friend, I'm knocking on the door of death by way of exhaustion. I haven't had the energy to do anything that is not a must do. Right now the must do list is short and only includes work and family. No more, no less.
Very little, if any running in a couple weeks. I'm starting to worry if a winter marathon is possible. I wanna run, but I just can't find the time. A few days ago I squeezed in a 18.5 mile bike ride with a friend. We did 4 x 0.50 mile sprints. The overall average was a wimpy 13 mph because we were on the Greenbelts, but the sprints were a manly 26-29 mph on a long straightaway. The effort was all out. The last interval was the fastest, which resulted in me getting off my bike and puking in someones yard. Yeah, that's gross, but the effort level felt great afterwards.
I'm sure a lot of you are wondering about the contest between Vic and I. Yes, Mr. Vic won and Mrs. Bill lost. Congrats on your weight loss Vic, you look good and did a great job. As for the "dress", I spoke with Vic and we made an arrangement. I was scheduled to work the same day as the opening day of SMART training. unfourtantley, I was not able to take off becasue I used nearly all my vacation and sick time with my knee surgery and Preston's hospitalization. Anyways, I told Vic I would supply him with a picture of me in a dress and he can do whatever he want with it. In fact, this morning I made the embarrassing dress purchase. URG! And yes, it sucked!
I have to admit, I'm a bit lost right now. But as usual, I'll find my way and everything will be a-okay very soon.
You've all seen the cute pictures of Preston. This is what he REALALY looks like!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A few more calories
Activity: Walk
Mileage: 2.13 miles
Time: 36:30 -- 17:09 pace
Location: Trailwood Village
Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Mid-body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
Activity: Run
Mileage: 1.0 mile
Time: 12:33
Location: Home Treadmill
Nice neighborhood walk with the family.
I've been reading about everyone doing speed work and thought I'd give it a whirl. My legs have been continually sore, so I figured a little speed might "wake them up". There is no rhyme or rhythm to the madness of my run, but I'll try to describe it:
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 6.7 mph - 9:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.0 mph - 8:35/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
I worked up a really good sweat. I'll even go as far as saying.... it was fun!
Mileage: 2.13 miles
Time: 36:30 -- 17:09 pace
Location: Trailwood Village
Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Mid-body
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
Activity: Run
Mileage: 1.0 mile
Time: 12:33
Location: Home Treadmill
Nice neighborhood walk with the family.
I've been reading about everyone doing speed work and thought I'd give it a whirl. My legs have been continually sore, so I figured a little speed might "wake them up". There is no rhyme or rhythm to the madness of my run, but I'll try to describe it:
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 6.7 mph - 9:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.0 mph - 8:35/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
1:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
0:30 @ 7.5 mph - 8:00/ mile pace
0:30 @ 4.0 mph - 15:00/mile pace
I worked up a really good sweat. I'll even go as far as saying.... it was fun!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Just burning a few calories
Activity: Weight Training
Body Region: Upper
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
Activity: Walk
Mileage: 1.75
Time: 30 Minutes -- 17:09 pace
Location: Home Treadmill
Body Region: Upper
Time: 30 minutes
Location: Home Gym
Activity: Walk
Mileage: 1.75
Time: 30 Minutes -- 17:09 pace
Location: Home Treadmill
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Stationary Bike
Activity: Stationary Bike
Time: 30 minutes
Level: 4 (of 16)
Location: Humble Fire Department
Surprised that my legs are still sore. I haven't run since Thursday.
No good news with my weight management. Although, I have decided to put weight loss on the front burner. I'll run as a means of weight loss, but without any particular g0al or race.
Time: 30 minutes
Level: 4 (of 16)
Location: Humble Fire Department
Surprised that my legs are still sore. I haven't run since Thursday.
No good news with my weight management. Although, I have decided to put weight loss on the front burner. I'll run as a means of weight loss, but without any particular g0al or race.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
What do you call: Junk Miles?
Activity: Run
Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 31:18 -- 10:26 pace
10:07, 10:33, 10:38
Location: Humble Fire Department
Before you get excited about the pace, you gotta know there is a twist. My legs were tight and heavy the entire time. Ran the first mile at a good click, but then I faded in a BIG WAY. The remaining 2-miles consisted of a series of walk-run segments. At times I didn't run more than 0.15 mile before walking again. It was a challenge, but I made sure to log my three-miles of actual running.
Something needs to change, again. I don't like running right now. In fact, I spend most of my day dreading it.
Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 31:18 -- 10:26 pace
10:07, 10:33, 10:38
Location: Humble Fire Department
Before you get excited about the pace, you gotta know there is a twist. My legs were tight and heavy the entire time. Ran the first mile at a good click, but then I faded in a BIG WAY. The remaining 2-miles consisted of a series of walk-run segments. At times I didn't run more than 0.15 mile before walking again. It was a challenge, but I made sure to log my three-miles of actual running.
Something needs to change, again. I don't like running right now. In fact, I spend most of my day dreading it.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Unimpressive run
Activity: Run
Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 39:42 -- 13:14 pace
Location: Home Treadmill
Here is what my schedule is SUPPOSE to look like:
Sunday: Long-ass bike ride
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 miles, easy
Wednesday: 3 miles, good pace if I feel recovered
Thursday: 4 miles, easy
Friday: 3 miles, easy
Saturday: 5 miles, easy
Sunday: 10 miles, easy
I skipped yesterdays run. Two things got in my way. First, I was exhausted as hell (lack of sleep and legs still sore). Second, I simply ran out of time. My run suffered the consequences.
As you can see from the splits above, today's run lacked any kind of glamour. ALMOST skipped tonight's run as well, but Erin talked me into it. She has a way of saying, "You know you'll feel better afterwards" that gets me moving. I took it step by step. First goal was to put on my shoes. Second goal was to get on the treadmill. Third and final goal, finish three miles.
I'm a little surprised my left shin was aching. I haven't run since Saturday and I was on the treadmill. Interesting.
There is a small chance I will pick up Tuesdays mileage somewhere along the way, but I won't stress over it, if I don't.
Mileage: 3 miles
Time: 39:42 -- 13:14 pace
Location: Home Treadmill
Here is what my schedule is SUPPOSE to look like:
Sunday: Long-ass bike ride
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 miles, easy
Wednesday: 3 miles, good pace if I feel recovered
Thursday: 4 miles, easy
Friday: 3 miles, easy
Saturday: 5 miles, easy
Sunday: 10 miles, easy
I skipped yesterdays run. Two things got in my way. First, I was exhausted as hell (lack of sleep and legs still sore). Second, I simply ran out of time. My run suffered the consequences.
As you can see from the splits above, today's run lacked any kind of glamour. ALMOST skipped tonight's run as well, but Erin talked me into it. She has a way of saying, "You know you'll feel better afterwards" that gets me moving. I took it step by step. First goal was to put on my shoes. Second goal was to get on the treadmill. Third and final goal, finish three miles.
I'm a little surprised my left shin was aching. I haven't run since Saturday and I was on the treadmill. Interesting.
There is a small chance I will pick up Tuesdays mileage somewhere along the way, but I won't stress over it, if I don't.
Monday, July 16, 2007
KFC (report might be longer than the ride)
I'm still exhausted, but lets see how far I get with the ride report. First off, its hard to remember to call them "rides" or "tours", rather than "race".
As mentioned before, a buddy from worked convinced me to attempt the century ride. Shortly after posting my intentions of the Katy Flatlands I received advice against the 100-mile distance from someone I greatly respect. Since that email, I've struggled with my decision. Even the morning of the ride, I had no idea how far I would end up riding. Simply rode one mile at a time.
Alright, let me back up to Saturday. I purchased a new pair of road bike shoes from Performance Cycle. I had to get new shoes, because the old shoes were purchased online and arrived about 20 sizes to narrow. At 6pm I decided to move my cleat's over to the new shoes and realized the new ones were the "look" style, and I had SPD style on my old shoes. Anyways, at 8pm I was back at the bike shop buying new pedals and cleats.
I've been told a zillion times to never run a marathon in a new shoe. Trust me when I say this is true for biking as well. Actually the shoes were great, but I was having a lot of issues clipping in and out of the new pedals. Hang with me, I going somewhere with this....
One final note about Saturday; I only slept 2.5 hours. This was partly cause of the late drive back to the bike shop, installation of the new hardware, plus Preston is awake every 2 hours or so, and I had to get up at 4am. When we arrived at Katy Mills Mall there was just enough time to register before the rain started. This is also when I noted the difficulties with the new clips. As soon as I sat in the saddle, I found it hard to unclip. When I was able to successfully unclip I realized they have NO TRACTION on the bottom. That plus the rain slicked parking lot made me extremely nervous. I was sure to fall, but when. Well, it didn't take long. On the way to the start line, we had to make a quick stop and yield to a truck backing up. I couldn't get my foot out, which made me nervous. In the end, I went down in front of a LOT of people. No injury, thank goodness. As we sat in the start line I watched several people fall, which made me feel at ease... (not the only one falling)
Steve and I were at the front of the second wave. When we were released to ride, I noticed two things. One, my gloves were still tied around my handlebars and two, my bike computer was not working. I was a nervous wreck about falling, plus I had people within 6-inches of me on every side. I couldn't do anything about the gloves, but upon visual inspection, I saw my wireless sensor had been knocked away from the wheel during the fall. Carefully, I reached down and fixed the computer. There was a difference of 0.70 miles between my computer and Steve's.
Rained HARD for the first 10-11 miles. Average speed was less than 10 mph until the rain eased up and the crowds started thinning out. During the initial 5 miles we witnessed some nasty wrecks. One of them so bad the riders were diverted onto the other side of a median as EMS worked on the patient. Not sure of her injuries, but we were close enough to see a pool of blood on the road.
Early in the ride I remember thinking how tired I was. Not so much "dead-leg" tired, but rather, pure exhaustion. If my memory is correct, the first stop break was at 13 miles. From start to finish, I kept most of the breaks rather short. It was common for me to see the same people at the rest stop when I left as it was when I arrived. The entire time I pondered my distance for the day. The last turning point was at 26 miles. At that mileage I had to decide if I could do the 26 mile distance three more times. For the most part I WANTED to do the metric century. Unfortunately, the little voice in my head, which is a HUGE DREAMER, wanted to stick its chest out and say, "I biked 100-miles". The weather between rest stop #1 (13 miles) and rest stop two (24 miles?) was as perfect as you could expect. The only problem, we were soaked from head to toe and didn't dry out as fast.
Shortly after leaving rest stop #2 I had to make my final decision. The rest and weather did me a lot of good, but I knew my exhaustion laid deep within. I SERIOUSLY didn't decide until the actual turn-off. Then I just turned onto the 100-mile course. All I can say is, "the little voice made me do it".
Then I started drying out and it got HOT and sticky. I was able to handle the weather, but then we turned onto a country road that was rough as hell. I quickly went from 17 mph to 12 mph. For whatever reason, I could not hold my pace on that terrain. Seems we weren't the only riders having problems on the surface. Although several larger pods of riders blew by as, we picked off several riders ourselves.
A lot of the ride was blurry from mile 35-50. I remember some BEAUTIFUL countryside properties and slow riding. My buddy Steve also dropped me during this time. He found a pod he liked and asked me if I cared if he tried to hang with him. I said okay, but deep down inside of me I didn't want to ride alone. After rest stop #4, I joined a pair of lady riders. I sat behind them for a mile or two before they asked me take the lead. I pulled us about 7 miles and the favor was never returned. Eventually I dropped them.
Rest stop number 4 was interesting. As I was walking up, a couple "fit" riders were at the refreshment table and had their back to me. I was refilling my bottle when I heard one of them say, "It cracks me up to see these guys with a $3,000 bike that weighs 17 lbs, and they weigh 240 lbs. If they want something light... trying losing weight and save the money". Now, I'm pretty sure they were not talking about me and my $400 bike, but it still pissed me off. Yeah, I know lots of us need to lose weight, but c'mon! Does that mean I cannot have a NICE bike, like the fit riders... just becasue I'm fat? They were still talking when I left the stop. The new found anger did me a lot of good, as I picked up my pace and felt pretty good for 5-6 miles. My final thought about the conversation was this. I'm 240 pounds, riding a $400 bike I bought online and we were at the SAME rest stop, right? So, fuck those cocky bastards!
Miles 55-70 was lonely and HOT. Not many riders around me. Occasionally someone would pass me, but even those were far and few between. It was during this time I really found a zone. It seemed that the sag wagon and the sun were taunting me. I made a mantra and said it over and over and over. It's a silly one, so I'll keep it to myself. hehehehe
Spent a little longer than normal at rest stop #6. One of the conversations I overheard was about the "shortcut". The other rest stop topic was about being routed wrong by a police officer, which added 5 miles to the route. I knew I couldn't make 105 miles, but I thought 90 was still obtainable. A couple veteran KFC riders stated we would be very close to 100 WITH the shortcut. At that stop I decided to take the short cut and made a commitment to myself, which was: Reuse to find myself on a sag wagon. By this time it was raining again. This was miserable, because I had finally dried out. The worst was the wet feet and my wet hydration back pack felt like it weighed 100 pounds.
Four miles outside the rest stop the "veteran riders" from the last stop had caught me and for the first time, someone gave me some encouragement. The four person pod consisted of 3 men and 1 woman. Two of the men told me, "Your looking good" and "Not too far now, you can make it!". This was all I needed to light my fire. Of course they passed me, but they were stopped by a red light a half mile ahead. As the light turned I had caught both them and the light. Once again they dropped me, but I noticed they were slightly dropping the female. I busted my ass to catch her, which I did. Within a quarter mile we were riding as a 5-person pod. What shocked me was our speed. I hung with them for 4-6 miles at an average speed of 19.5-20 mph. With 5 miles to go I was forced to let the pod go. Missed the last two rest stops due to the shortcut, so I needed to slow down and stop on the side of the road to stretch my neck and back.
The final stretch was VERY uneventful, with the exception of the awful heat and humidity. The shortcut enabled me to arrive back at the truck before Steve. Since this was my first organized ride, I was shocked at the lack of an "after-party". By this time it was raining hard again, so I rode easy around the mall waiting for Steve to get back. I was able to log another couple miles.
After the ride, Steve kept asking me how a century ride compares to a marathon. I still don't know the answer to his question. I know they are mentally close. After 15 miles in a marathon the roads just keep coming with no end in sight. Riding 100-miles is very similar. After 50 miles the roads just kept coming and I wondered if it would ever end. My legs feel a lot better than they did after the marathon. Plus I went into this ride sleep deprived, no exercise taper, and minimally trained. You'd NEVER survive a marathon under the same conditions. So, I guess his answer is right there.
When I got home it was everything I could do to keep my OCD in check. I nearly got back on the bike to finish the needed 100-mile distance. I continue to fight such urges in exchange for "normal people" thoughts. Instead of biking another 5.5 miles, I took my family out to eat.
A good day!
As mentioned before, a buddy from worked convinced me to attempt the century ride. Shortly after posting my intentions of the Katy Flatlands I received advice against the 100-mile distance from someone I greatly respect. Since that email, I've struggled with my decision. Even the morning of the ride, I had no idea how far I would end up riding. Simply rode one mile at a time.
Alright, let me back up to Saturday. I purchased a new pair of road bike shoes from Performance Cycle. I had to get new shoes, because the old shoes were purchased online and arrived about 20 sizes to narrow. At 6pm I decided to move my cleat's over to the new shoes and realized the new ones were the "look" style, and I had SPD style on my old shoes. Anyways, at 8pm I was back at the bike shop buying new pedals and cleats.
I've been told a zillion times to never run a marathon in a new shoe. Trust me when I say this is true for biking as well. Actually the shoes were great, but I was having a lot of issues clipping in and out of the new pedals. Hang with me, I going somewhere with this....
One final note about Saturday; I only slept 2.5 hours. This was partly cause of the late drive back to the bike shop, installation of the new hardware, plus Preston is awake every 2 hours or so, and I had to get up at 4am. When we arrived at Katy Mills Mall there was just enough time to register before the rain started. This is also when I noted the difficulties with the new clips. As soon as I sat in the saddle, I found it hard to unclip. When I was able to successfully unclip I realized they have NO TRACTION on the bottom. That plus the rain slicked parking lot made me extremely nervous. I was sure to fall, but when. Well, it didn't take long. On the way to the start line, we had to make a quick stop and yield to a truck backing up. I couldn't get my foot out, which made me nervous. In the end, I went down in front of a LOT of people. No injury, thank goodness. As we sat in the start line I watched several people fall, which made me feel at ease... (not the only one falling)
Steve and I were at the front of the second wave. When we were released to ride, I noticed two things. One, my gloves were still tied around my handlebars and two, my bike computer was not working. I was a nervous wreck about falling, plus I had people within 6-inches of me on every side. I couldn't do anything about the gloves, but upon visual inspection, I saw my wireless sensor had been knocked away from the wheel during the fall. Carefully, I reached down and fixed the computer. There was a difference of 0.70 miles between my computer and Steve's.
Rained HARD for the first 10-11 miles. Average speed was less than 10 mph until the rain eased up and the crowds started thinning out. During the initial 5 miles we witnessed some nasty wrecks. One of them so bad the riders were diverted onto the other side of a median as EMS worked on the patient. Not sure of her injuries, but we were close enough to see a pool of blood on the road.
Early in the ride I remember thinking how tired I was. Not so much "dead-leg" tired, but rather, pure exhaustion. If my memory is correct, the first stop break was at 13 miles. From start to finish, I kept most of the breaks rather short. It was common for me to see the same people at the rest stop when I left as it was when I arrived. The entire time I pondered my distance for the day. The last turning point was at 26 miles. At that mileage I had to decide if I could do the 26 mile distance three more times. For the most part I WANTED to do the metric century. Unfortunately, the little voice in my head, which is a HUGE DREAMER, wanted to stick its chest out and say, "I biked 100-miles". The weather between rest stop #1 (13 miles) and rest stop two (24 miles?) was as perfect as you could expect. The only problem, we were soaked from head to toe and didn't dry out as fast.
Shortly after leaving rest stop #2 I had to make my final decision. The rest and weather did me a lot of good, but I knew my exhaustion laid deep within. I SERIOUSLY didn't decide until the actual turn-off. Then I just turned onto the 100-mile course. All I can say is, "the little voice made me do it".
Then I started drying out and it got HOT and sticky. I was able to handle the weather, but then we turned onto a country road that was rough as hell. I quickly went from 17 mph to 12 mph. For whatever reason, I could not hold my pace on that terrain. Seems we weren't the only riders having problems on the surface. Although several larger pods of riders blew by as, we picked off several riders ourselves.
A lot of the ride was blurry from mile 35-50. I remember some BEAUTIFUL countryside properties and slow riding. My buddy Steve also dropped me during this time. He found a pod he liked and asked me if I cared if he tried to hang with him. I said okay, but deep down inside of me I didn't want to ride alone. After rest stop #4, I joined a pair of lady riders. I sat behind them for a mile or two before they asked me take the lead. I pulled us about 7 miles and the favor was never returned. Eventually I dropped them.
Rest stop number 4 was interesting. As I was walking up, a couple "fit" riders were at the refreshment table and had their back to me. I was refilling my bottle when I heard one of them say, "It cracks me up to see these guys with a $3,000 bike that weighs 17 lbs, and they weigh 240 lbs. If they want something light... trying losing weight and save the money". Now, I'm pretty sure they were not talking about me and my $400 bike, but it still pissed me off. Yeah, I know lots of us need to lose weight, but c'mon! Does that mean I cannot have a NICE bike, like the fit riders... just becasue I'm fat? They were still talking when I left the stop. The new found anger did me a lot of good, as I picked up my pace and felt pretty good for 5-6 miles. My final thought about the conversation was this. I'm 240 pounds, riding a $400 bike I bought online and we were at the SAME rest stop, right? So, fuck those cocky bastards!
Miles 55-70 was lonely and HOT. Not many riders around me. Occasionally someone would pass me, but even those were far and few between. It was during this time I really found a zone. It seemed that the sag wagon and the sun were taunting me. I made a mantra and said it over and over and over. It's a silly one, so I'll keep it to myself. hehehehe
Spent a little longer than normal at rest stop #6. One of the conversations I overheard was about the "shortcut". The other rest stop topic was about being routed wrong by a police officer, which added 5 miles to the route. I knew I couldn't make 105 miles, but I thought 90 was still obtainable. A couple veteran KFC riders stated we would be very close to 100 WITH the shortcut. At that stop I decided to take the short cut and made a commitment to myself, which was: Reuse to find myself on a sag wagon. By this time it was raining again. This was miserable, because I had finally dried out. The worst was the wet feet and my wet hydration back pack felt like it weighed 100 pounds.
Four miles outside the rest stop the "veteran riders" from the last stop had caught me and for the first time, someone gave me some encouragement. The four person pod consisted of 3 men and 1 woman. Two of the men told me, "Your looking good" and "Not too far now, you can make it!". This was all I needed to light my fire. Of course they passed me, but they were stopped by a red light a half mile ahead. As the light turned I had caught both them and the light. Once again they dropped me, but I noticed they were slightly dropping the female. I busted my ass to catch her, which I did. Within a quarter mile we were riding as a 5-person pod. What shocked me was our speed. I hung with them for 4-6 miles at an average speed of 19.5-20 mph. With 5 miles to go I was forced to let the pod go. Missed the last two rest stops due to the shortcut, so I needed to slow down and stop on the side of the road to stretch my neck and back.
The final stretch was VERY uneventful, with the exception of the awful heat and humidity. The shortcut enabled me to arrive back at the truck before Steve. Since this was my first organized ride, I was shocked at the lack of an "after-party". By this time it was raining hard again, so I rode easy around the mall waiting for Steve to get back. I was able to log another couple miles.
After the ride, Steve kept asking me how a century ride compares to a marathon. I still don't know the answer to his question. I know they are mentally close. After 15 miles in a marathon the roads just keep coming with no end in sight. Riding 100-miles is very similar. After 50 miles the roads just kept coming and I wondered if it would ever end. My legs feel a lot better than they did after the marathon. Plus I went into this ride sleep deprived, no exercise taper, and minimally trained. You'd NEVER survive a marathon under the same conditions. So, I guess his answer is right there.
When I got home it was everything I could do to keep my OCD in check. I nearly got back on the bike to finish the needed 100-mile distance. I continue to fight such urges in exchange for "normal people" thoughts. Instead of biking another 5.5 miles, I took my family out to eat.
A good day!
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