Gainesville
Swim - 30 minutes continuous
2 Lipodrene
As this was a swim/bike brick day, I opted to head down to Campus Lodge and train with Justin. It always makes for good bike rides, and they have a nice outdoor pool there that;s perfect for training days like this. I woke up about 11, on maybe 8 hours sleep (not enough after my cross-country odyssey to Seattle)and was a little lethargic in getting over there.
I still made it early, and Justin didn't join me in the pool until I was about 5 minutes into the swim. Lacking a watch, I just went for 30 laps, figuring I do about a lap a minute. I'm not sure if the pool there is exactly 25 meters though. It's close, but it feels about one stroke short. Anyway, I was able to keep my regular, good pace, but my breathing felt labored. Like I had a weight in my chest. This may be ok for a 1500 meter swim, but is not promising for longer ones. I think this may be a remnant of the "flu," such as it was. But even though the swim went fine, I wasn't overly thrilled with how it felt.
Bike - 90 Minutes
I'm not a fan of drafting, but I thought today I'd let Justin ride out so I could go balls out the 45 minutes back. Well, Justin hadn't been cycling sine our last workout a month or so ago, and was understandably a little slow. I didn't mind, as I wasn't exactly dying to push it going out on 441 with all the fucking wind. But we averaged about 17 on the trip down to Cafe Risque and the Country store on 441. (Our usual turnaround). Granted, there was a serious headwind, and I definitely felt it when I took over the front at the road to Cafe Risque. Justin enjoyed the increased speed, and I led the rest of the way.
I took gels 15 minutes and one hour in, despite not having a lot of time left. I just do it to keep in practice, ya know?
We hit the Country Store at about 43 minutes, so I thought we'd end up making it back at about 1:24-ish. Short, but not horribly short. Well, as it was we had a nice tailwind, and despite my shoulders being insanely jammed and not being able to drop into aero for very long, we still made it back in about 1:17. So I cheated it by 13 minutes. I'm not going to get too upset over that, but not something I need to make a habit of. Justin also pointed out that doing 112 miles in 6 hours or less is going to require a lot of aero time. I just hope my shoulders get conditioned like the rest of my body over the next month.
Run - 45 minutes
1 Lipodrene
I took about 2 hours in between these workouts, as the training card suggested. This was another day where I was just realyl fitting this workout in between other things. Well, getting it all in before I went up to Jacksonville for the Silversun Pickups Concert. So I got on the road, and just felt heavy. I can tell I've gained a few pounds the past few weeks, since my workouts are less frequent. But sans iPod and in regular gym shorts I just felt sluggish and heavy. I kind of lumbered the run at my usual pace. Which always feels like it's good until I look at myself in a window or someone passes me and I realize I look like a heavy guy just kinds shuffling. Whatever. I wasn't laboring on the run, and made it through well. But there wasn't much of a spark.
My concerns here are two today: First, I think I may have some residual after effects from whatever sickness I had. Which I am going to just have to deal with and thank God it wasn't worse. But I've never been good at pushing it when I'm really not feeling it. And I think it's too late for that kind of attitude adjustment. Second, I really need to take advantage of days when I have nothing scheduled. Workouts where I have to fit it in around anything else just are never as good. Period. So aside from ym training trip to Panama City this week, I am staying home as much as possible on my off days. I need to have these workouts count.
Showing posts with label Silversun Pickups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Silversun Pickups. Show all posts
Monday, October 5, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
T69 - Rainy Day Recess - Bike/Run Brick (Stationary Bike, Treadmill)
Gainesville
Fucking rain. I left Seattle to get away from the fucking perpetual gloom, but I forget occasionally summers in Florida provide a similar effect. Such was Thursday. The rain never let up all day, so my 90 minute light spinning ride became relegated to the exercise bike at GHFC. I wasn't about to do a 90-minute trainer session with a road ride the next day and a race on Sunday. And it's recovery week, so that's what exercise bike sessions are for. I opted to do a little bit of what I used to call "Fake Limited Triathlon" and do an Exercis Bike/Treadmill brick. Or, bascially, an incelement weather workout.
Bike - 90 Minutes (Stationary Bike)
2 Lipodrene
Because the Marlins had a noon game, there really wasn't much to watch on TV during a 90-minute exercise bike session other than reruns of "King of The Hill." Which was fine by me. I had exchanged the F-ed up headphones earlier in the day, and brought the iPod along. I decided on an all-Silversun Pickups set, including some older stuff that was on there from before I even liked the band. But it was suprisingly motivating, and aside from feeling a little worn out at about the 1-hour mark, the ride went pretty well. It's hard to gauge how good an exercise bike workout is, becasue you don't really go anywhere and the resistance is set. But I averaged about 17.5, which is not great, but not bad. I wasn't really pushing it, but I did get in some good sprints. I was also encouraged by the fact that I biked a lot harder that last 15 minutes than I had the rest of the session.
I took a gel at the one hour mark (didn't see the need for 2 during an indoor workout) and finished a full bottle of water. The exercise bike has a totally different seat than a regular bike, so my ass was surprisingly sore after about 50 minutes. When I finished up at the 90-minute mark, I seriosuly had trouble walking. I've developed saddle sore immunity from my bike, since I've ridden it so much, but this one left me seriosuly uncomfortable. And the walk to the treadmill was very awkward.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
Went back to abuse the Summer Run 2009 mix, once again, but the first 5 minutes all I could think was "God damn, my ass is sore." But as with all extremety pain during a run, once I got going it pretty much went away. I mean, I still feel sore from the exercise bike seat now - 20 hours later - but at the time it wasn't an issue. This was a short, indoor run with an iPod, so obviously I crushed it. It felt so good that when I got to "Big Sky" at about the 28-minute mark, I opted to just run to the end of the song. I NEVER extend workouts past their assigned times unless I'm going slower than I should be. Ever. But I was motivated and felt like I wanted to keep going and so I did. Nice to crush a run, I hadn't had a real good workout in a while.
Recovery week is going well, and this is the kind of workout you do during recovery week. I just hope the rain lets up, as I can't really be subbing in the stationary bike during the next month. That was something I did a little too much last cycle, and we all know how that turned out. But I've been avoiding most of those habits this time around, and I feel like the results will reflect that.
Fucking rain. I left Seattle to get away from the fucking perpetual gloom, but I forget occasionally summers in Florida provide a similar effect. Such was Thursday. The rain never let up all day, so my 90 minute light spinning ride became relegated to the exercise bike at GHFC. I wasn't about to do a 90-minute trainer session with a road ride the next day and a race on Sunday. And it's recovery week, so that's what exercise bike sessions are for. I opted to do a little bit of what I used to call "Fake Limited Triathlon" and do an Exercis Bike/Treadmill brick. Or, bascially, an incelement weather workout.
Bike - 90 Minutes (Stationary Bike)
2 Lipodrene
Because the Marlins had a noon game, there really wasn't much to watch on TV during a 90-minute exercise bike session other than reruns of "King of The Hill." Which was fine by me. I had exchanged the F-ed up headphones earlier in the day, and brought the iPod along. I decided on an all-Silversun Pickups set, including some older stuff that was on there from before I even liked the band. But it was suprisingly motivating, and aside from feeling a little worn out at about the 1-hour mark, the ride went pretty well. It's hard to gauge how good an exercise bike workout is, becasue you don't really go anywhere and the resistance is set. But I averaged about 17.5, which is not great, but not bad. I wasn't really pushing it, but I did get in some good sprints. I was also encouraged by the fact that I biked a lot harder that last 15 minutes than I had the rest of the session.
I took a gel at the one hour mark (didn't see the need for 2 during an indoor workout) and finished a full bottle of water. The exercise bike has a totally different seat than a regular bike, so my ass was surprisingly sore after about 50 minutes. When I finished up at the 90-minute mark, I seriosuly had trouble walking. I've developed saddle sore immunity from my bike, since I've ridden it so much, but this one left me seriosuly uncomfortable. And the walk to the treadmill was very awkward.
Run - 30 Minutes (Treadmill)
Went back to abuse the Summer Run 2009 mix, once again, but the first 5 minutes all I could think was "God damn, my ass is sore." But as with all extremety pain during a run, once I got going it pretty much went away. I mean, I still feel sore from the exercise bike seat now - 20 hours later - but at the time it wasn't an issue. This was a short, indoor run with an iPod, so obviously I crushed it. It felt so good that when I got to "Big Sky" at about the 28-minute mark, I opted to just run to the end of the song. I NEVER extend workouts past their assigned times unless I'm going slower than I should be. Ever. But I was motivated and felt like I wanted to keep going and so I did. Nice to crush a run, I hadn't had a real good workout in a while.
Recovery week is going well, and this is the kind of workout you do during recovery week. I just hope the rain lets up, as I can't really be subbing in the stationary bike during the next month. That was something I did a little too much last cycle, and we all know how that turned out. But I've been avoiding most of those habits this time around, and I feel like the results will reflect that.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
T64 - To Feel Safe Again, Look Over Your Shoulder - Bike, Run
Kona
I spent the morning diving with my friend Robyn from High School who works as a dive instructor out here. The dives were amazing, but both Robyn and her fellow tour guide Kelly were telling me they couldn’t believe I was going to go bike for 2 hours then run for an hour after a full day of diving. In the hot sun. Not because diving is particularly draining physically, but apparently you’re supposed to let yourself cycle off all the nitrogen before working out. Like why you’re not supposed to fly. But who was I to listen to them. It was Kona and I had a bike rented for 24 hours, I’m getting my fucking money’s worth.
Bike – 2 Hours
2 Lipodrene
So I’d had it in my head that biking the Kona course, which for the unaware is the original and official Ironman bike course, used in the race you see on Wide World of Sports. Of course, I wasn’t going to bike the whole thing, I only had 2 hours. But I had likened it to an amateur baseball player getting to play a game at Yankee Stadium. This would be the case if Yankee stadium were filled with Semi Trucks, mopeds, and right turn only lanes that force you to cut across traffic not once but twice about every half mile. This road wasn’t majestic. It was no magical experience. It was fucking Waldo Road with better scenery. Basically, this course was a busy highway with exhaust being blown in your face, with a fierce headwind and endless hills to boot.
I did ok on the ride. I needed to get used to the course, and the Dura Ace componentry on the Cannondale bike I rented was like shifting on silk. So I played around with the gears a lot. But again I had no computer and no aero bars, which made things kinda tough. I had no idea what my speed was, and there was nowhere to get water either. The first hour I spent more or less frustrated by the traffic constantly having to look over my left shoulder to make sure I didn’t end up as a permanent part of the Kona Ironman Bike Course. And I do not look over my right shoulder well, as more than once I have cut off an unsuspecting motorist. This is what led to me getting rear ended in Orlando, and will probably eventually result in a more serious injury. This is why I don’t like biking anywhere that’s not a continuous bike lane. I just can’t look over my shoulder.
The ride was good to familiarize me with the Kona course, but otherwise was very unimpressive. Because of the good componentry, I used the small ring a lot, more than in any other ride I think I’ve ever been on. The endless hills may have contributed to that too. So that was certainly different. But this was not the majestic experience I had expected.
Run – 1 Hour
1 Lipodrene
I had planned to brick this workout, but the Bike shop closed earlier than I thought so I couldn’t leave the bike there while I ran, and Jill had the Jeep, so I had to have her come pick me up and then run at home. For some reason she wasn’t excited to sit around an industrial shopping center while I ran for an hour. She was late getting me, and by the time I got back to the house in Captain Cook, it was 6:45. Uncle Steve’s house in Kona is on a steep, windy road in what looks like a cleaner version of Nicaragua. Just total jungle, a stark contrast to the Lava fields of the bike course. Also, because it’s Kona, and therefore “rustic,” there aren’t any sidewalks. It took my about 5 minutes to realize this run was probably not safe.
I started off running down the hill and approached a sharp curve about every hundred yards. With the IPod on, I couldn’t hear any cars, so I just had to cross the street every time I came up to one, having to constantly look behind me as I ran to make sure no cars were coming in the direction I was running. At one point a small VW Bug cam speeding around a curve and swerving between lanes. I’m not sure if they just wanted to play “Scare the Houle,” but it was quite disconcerting. After 20 minutes of constantly looking back and crossing the street, I decided this was not a safe run. Especially with an iPod on. So despite the return run being completely uphill, I turned the music off.
The run back was actually pretty good as I kept stride all the way up the hill, and made it back up in only a couple of minutes more than it took me to run down. So despite my cutting the run 20 minutes short (it was pitch black by the time I got home, I figured it was better to cut it short and live to train another day) I feel there was some training value there.
But man, 10 hours in the sun takes its toll. I finished dinner in the un-air conditioned house, and felt like I wanted to die. I took a cold towel, put in on top of myself like one might a blanket, and passed out by 8:30. I did however chug about 5 water bottles of ice water, as I knew the next day’s workout would take its toll.
I spent the morning diving with my friend Robyn from High School who works as a dive instructor out here. The dives were amazing, but both Robyn and her fellow tour guide Kelly were telling me they couldn’t believe I was going to go bike for 2 hours then run for an hour after a full day of diving. In the hot sun. Not because diving is particularly draining physically, but apparently you’re supposed to let yourself cycle off all the nitrogen before working out. Like why you’re not supposed to fly. But who was I to listen to them. It was Kona and I had a bike rented for 24 hours, I’m getting my fucking money’s worth.
Bike – 2 Hours
2 Lipodrene
So I’d had it in my head that biking the Kona course, which for the unaware is the original and official Ironman bike course, used in the race you see on Wide World of Sports. Of course, I wasn’t going to bike the whole thing, I only had 2 hours. But I had likened it to an amateur baseball player getting to play a game at Yankee Stadium. This would be the case if Yankee stadium were filled with Semi Trucks, mopeds, and right turn only lanes that force you to cut across traffic not once but twice about every half mile. This road wasn’t majestic. It was no magical experience. It was fucking Waldo Road with better scenery. Basically, this course was a busy highway with exhaust being blown in your face, with a fierce headwind and endless hills to boot.
I did ok on the ride. I needed to get used to the course, and the Dura Ace componentry on the Cannondale bike I rented was like shifting on silk. So I played around with the gears a lot. But again I had no computer and no aero bars, which made things kinda tough. I had no idea what my speed was, and there was nowhere to get water either. The first hour I spent more or less frustrated by the traffic constantly having to look over my left shoulder to make sure I didn’t end up as a permanent part of the Kona Ironman Bike Course. And I do not look over my right shoulder well, as more than once I have cut off an unsuspecting motorist. This is what led to me getting rear ended in Orlando, and will probably eventually result in a more serious injury. This is why I don’t like biking anywhere that’s not a continuous bike lane. I just can’t look over my shoulder.
The ride was good to familiarize me with the Kona course, but otherwise was very unimpressive. Because of the good componentry, I used the small ring a lot, more than in any other ride I think I’ve ever been on. The endless hills may have contributed to that too. So that was certainly different. But this was not the majestic experience I had expected.
Run – 1 Hour
1 Lipodrene
I had planned to brick this workout, but the Bike shop closed earlier than I thought so I couldn’t leave the bike there while I ran, and Jill had the Jeep, so I had to have her come pick me up and then run at home. For some reason she wasn’t excited to sit around an industrial shopping center while I ran for an hour. She was late getting me, and by the time I got back to the house in Captain Cook, it was 6:45. Uncle Steve’s house in Kona is on a steep, windy road in what looks like a cleaner version of Nicaragua. Just total jungle, a stark contrast to the Lava fields of the bike course. Also, because it’s Kona, and therefore “rustic,” there aren’t any sidewalks. It took my about 5 minutes to realize this run was probably not safe.
I started off running down the hill and approached a sharp curve about every hundred yards. With the IPod on, I couldn’t hear any cars, so I just had to cross the street every time I came up to one, having to constantly look behind me as I ran to make sure no cars were coming in the direction I was running. At one point a small VW Bug cam speeding around a curve and swerving between lanes. I’m not sure if they just wanted to play “Scare the Houle,” but it was quite disconcerting. After 20 minutes of constantly looking back and crossing the street, I decided this was not a safe run. Especially with an iPod on. So despite the return run being completely uphill, I turned the music off.
The run back was actually pretty good as I kept stride all the way up the hill, and made it back up in only a couple of minutes more than it took me to run down. So despite my cutting the run 20 minutes short (it was pitch black by the time I got home, I figured it was better to cut it short and live to train another day) I feel there was some training value there.
But man, 10 hours in the sun takes its toll. I finished dinner in the un-air conditioned house, and felt like I wanted to die. I took a cold towel, put in on top of myself like one might a blanket, and passed out by 8:30. I did however chug about 5 water bottles of ice water, as I knew the next day’s workout would take its toll.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
T25 - Aaaaand the Ass Kicking Begins - Swim/Run "Brick"
Gainesville
You will see why I put the "brick" in quotes in a minute. But the plan had been to go on an early morning bike ride to get ready for the early flight Wednesday. Well, a Monday night booty call and a vicous earl-ymorning thundersorm put the kibosh on those plans. By the time I woke up at noon, it was still pouring and I was like "Fuck it, I'll do the long Bike in Sac. It never rains in July there." So I headed to GHFC for a long swim.
S: long day
wu: 200 continuous
main: 1 x 2500 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
Having done nicely in my previosu swims, I figured this would be an ot too difficult swim. Given I'd done more than this distance several times before. Yeeeah, about that. I'm not sure if it was becasue I"d swam the night before, but by lap 25 I was done. I even stopped using my counting method of tihnking of the girls I'd slept with in chronological order for each lap. Which is good, becasue 25-38 are mostly ones I'd like to forget anyway. Point is, I was going strong, but not feeling good. I was so hungry afterwards I took a gel, then stoped at the GHFC snack bar and got a piece of chocolate bread. THe "brick" hence, was ruined since I too ka solid half hour in between. But the nutrition was well needed.
Run: 45 minutes, easy pace
Treadmill
I opted for the treadmil since theweather looked suspect at best. I have mixed feelings on the challenge level of the treadmill, since I can't slow down at all, but the reisistance is less. Eh. Whatever. I had put the Silversun PIckups CD I"d purchased for one song only on the iPod, and honestly the run was almost too easy. I like to use music on the treadmill since there's no scenery change, but yes, I know, I need to wean myself off of it.
But after I gto home, I was done. Like I packed for California, and then just lay in bed for like 2 hours. COuldn't move. Even after getting some Taco Bell, I had nothing. That long seim and short run just killed me for the rest of the day. I see how this works, that prep month is just to get you used to training. Base 1, this is where we start to die. Good to go, Ironman. Bring it....
You will see why I put the "brick" in quotes in a minute. But the plan had been to go on an early morning bike ride to get ready for the early flight Wednesday. Well, a Monday night booty call and a vicous earl-ymorning thundersorm put the kibosh on those plans. By the time I woke up at noon, it was still pouring and I was like "Fuck it, I'll do the long Bike in Sac. It never rains in July there." So I headed to GHFC for a long swim.
S: long day
wu: 200 continuous
main: 1 x 2500 at RPE 4
2 Lipodrene
Having done nicely in my previosu swims, I figured this would be an ot too difficult swim. Given I'd done more than this distance several times before. Yeeeah, about that. I'm not sure if it was becasue I"d swam the night before, but by lap 25 I was done. I even stopped using my counting method of tihnking of the girls I'd slept with in chronological order for each lap. Which is good, becasue 25-38 are mostly ones I'd like to forget anyway. Point is, I was going strong, but not feeling good. I was so hungry afterwards I took a gel, then stoped at the GHFC snack bar and got a piece of chocolate bread. THe "brick" hence, was ruined since I too ka solid half hour in between. But the nutrition was well needed.
Run: 45 minutes, easy pace
Treadmill
I opted for the treadmil since theweather looked suspect at best. I have mixed feelings on the challenge level of the treadmill, since I can't slow down at all, but the reisistance is less. Eh. Whatever. I had put the Silversun PIckups CD I"d purchased for one song only on the iPod, and honestly the run was almost too easy. I like to use music on the treadmill since there's no scenery change, but yes, I know, I need to wean myself off of it.
But after I gto home, I was done. Like I packed for California, and then just lay in bed for like 2 hours. COuldn't move. Even after getting some Taco Bell, I had nothing. That long seim and short run just killed me for the rest of the day. I see how this works, that prep month is just to get you used to training. Base 1, this is where we start to die. Good to go, Ironman. Bring it....
Sunday, June 21, 2009
T17 - Releasing the Glitch - Bike
Gainesville
I've had this fucking song in my head. For like 4 days now. It's called "Panic Switch" by the Silversun Pickups, a band I had been subjected to a great length by my ex and had never really had an opinion about. Until I heard this song on the radio the other day. It's a great song, but even after reading the lyrics twice, I have absolutely no fucking clue what it's about, or even what any of the lyrics mean. The chorus has a line that says something like "Will you fall in line, or release the glitch," and for the entire bike ride today, I had the bridge and chorus of this song in my head. And though I'm still not sure what exactly "releasing the glitch" entails, if there was a glitch in my riding, I released it today.
Bike - 2 Hours
2 Lipodrene
It was hot as fuck today. I mean by the time I hit the road word on the TV was that it was 99 degrees with humidity around 80%. So I packed an extra water bottle. Well, as I may have mentioned all of my rides in 2009 have been complete shit with a few exceptions, and even the good ones this cycle were merely improvements over what I'd been doing in the Spring. I have no idea why, in the Fall and last Summer I was crushing rides, but as I've discussed earlier I think the cold and some other circumstances just hampered my biking abilities. Not today.
I think the heat was the first thing that motivated me. It was nice and hot and there was no breeze. I had even stretched out a little beforehand and had taken 48 hours off. So on the way to Hawthorne, where I usually take it slow, I was averaging about 23. And this didn't really let up much the whole way down Hawthorne, as I kept singing the same ten bars of this "Panic Switch" song, out loud at some points (the guys at Nigbridge gave me some very funny looks)and made it to the end of Hawthorne in 56:30. That's a full 7 minutes faster than the last time I did this ride. I just kept telling myself to release the glitch. Even though I had no fucking idea what that meant.
I had a gel, refilled all my bottles, and took a leak before heading back. I was able to keep that pace up until about halfway back when the heat finally got to my legs and lower back and I found myself doing 13 on a small incline. I took a brief break, then continued on, going strong but not averaging over 20 as I had been. I had some difficulties with inclines on the way back, doing a solid 9 up the final hill in the hammock. Despite this, though, my average speed was still 18.5, easily the best solo ride of 2009. Whatever it was that had been glitching me so far this year, it has officially been released. Perhaps the fact that this song comes from a band I associate with someone, and that whole experience was something I think adversely affected my last training cycle, and now that I really am moving on and my training is getting better maybe that's really what releasing the glitch means. Or maybe I'm looking a little too far into a pretty nonsensical song lyric. I don't know.
This is not to say all rides are going to be this good, but I am consistently improving on each one. The warm weather definitely helps, maybe the stretching helps. Maybe singing Silversun Pickups helps. Although I don't think I can do that for 6 hours during the Ironman. Who knows.
I had an overnight guest last night too, and despite being up with her until 5, and then up again before 11, I still had an outstanding ride. My only point here is that I'm starting to think sex in and of itself does not hamper workouts, but rather the alcohol and occasional stress that goes along with it. Shit, maybe it's even getting to be like the old days of lifting where it motivates me. No matter what the reason, I'm very happy about today's ride. I feel like I'm back. The glitch has been released, and I'm ready to start really riding when Base 1 starts a week from Monday.
I've had this fucking song in my head. For like 4 days now. It's called "Panic Switch" by the Silversun Pickups, a band I had been subjected to a great length by my ex and had never really had an opinion about. Until I heard this song on the radio the other day. It's a great song, but even after reading the lyrics twice, I have absolutely no fucking clue what it's about, or even what any of the lyrics mean. The chorus has a line that says something like "Will you fall in line, or release the glitch," and for the entire bike ride today, I had the bridge and chorus of this song in my head. And though I'm still not sure what exactly "releasing the glitch" entails, if there was a glitch in my riding, I released it today.
Bike - 2 Hours
2 Lipodrene
It was hot as fuck today. I mean by the time I hit the road word on the TV was that it was 99 degrees with humidity around 80%. So I packed an extra water bottle. Well, as I may have mentioned all of my rides in 2009 have been complete shit with a few exceptions, and even the good ones this cycle were merely improvements over what I'd been doing in the Spring. I have no idea why, in the Fall and last Summer I was crushing rides, but as I've discussed earlier I think the cold and some other circumstances just hampered my biking abilities. Not today.
I think the heat was the first thing that motivated me. It was nice and hot and there was no breeze. I had even stretched out a little beforehand and had taken 48 hours off. So on the way to Hawthorne, where I usually take it slow, I was averaging about 23. And this didn't really let up much the whole way down Hawthorne, as I kept singing the same ten bars of this "Panic Switch" song, out loud at some points (the guys at Nigbridge gave me some very funny looks)and made it to the end of Hawthorne in 56:30. That's a full 7 minutes faster than the last time I did this ride. I just kept telling myself to release the glitch. Even though I had no fucking idea what that meant.
I had a gel, refilled all my bottles, and took a leak before heading back. I was able to keep that pace up until about halfway back when the heat finally got to my legs and lower back and I found myself doing 13 on a small incline. I took a brief break, then continued on, going strong but not averaging over 20 as I had been. I had some difficulties with inclines on the way back, doing a solid 9 up the final hill in the hammock. Despite this, though, my average speed was still 18.5, easily the best solo ride of 2009. Whatever it was that had been glitching me so far this year, it has officially been released. Perhaps the fact that this song comes from a band I associate with someone, and that whole experience was something I think adversely affected my last training cycle, and now that I really am moving on and my training is getting better maybe that's really what releasing the glitch means. Or maybe I'm looking a little too far into a pretty nonsensical song lyric. I don't know.
This is not to say all rides are going to be this good, but I am consistently improving on each one. The warm weather definitely helps, maybe the stretching helps. Maybe singing Silversun Pickups helps. Although I don't think I can do that for 6 hours during the Ironman. Who knows.
I had an overnight guest last night too, and despite being up with her until 5, and then up again before 11, I still had an outstanding ride. My only point here is that I'm starting to think sex in and of itself does not hamper workouts, but rather the alcohol and occasional stress that goes along with it. Shit, maybe it's even getting to be like the old days of lifting where it motivates me. No matter what the reason, I'm very happy about today's ride. I feel like I'm back. The glitch has been released, and I'm ready to start really riding when Base 1 starts a week from Monday.
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