Friday, August 10, 2012
Exhaustion
Three weeks in and I'm feeling great. But this week has been a little bit of a challenge. A combination of jet lag and seagulls (why the have chosen my parking lot as their early morning feeding ground, I haven't a clue) have interrupted my sleeping pattern and I've not had a decent night's rest in about a week. Despite this, I've kept up with my running and was able to muddle through one 3 and two 4 milers this week. It's been hot and humid and I am tired but I've kept up the motivation to follow through. I signed myself up for a half marathon with Kurt as my running partner in crime and now must follow through. This weekend is a 5 miler and if it's not raining, I may even try to fit in a bike ride with my newly tuned up bike...
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Hiatus
Talk about one long hiatus. 3 years since the last post, are you kidding me?! Time goes by life happens and I find myself wanting to throw myself back into training for something again. Must be the Olympics. I watched the men's and women's road race finals and got inspired. Immediately after Alexander Vinokourov sprinted across the finish line, I sprinted downstairs to the basement and pulled out my bike. I took it to the shop for a tune up and can't wait until next week to take it for a spin again.
In the meantime, I've been searching for another half and ran across two that I found interesting. Now I just have to round up some support in the form of friends who are willing to accompany me and hit the road. Last week I started tracking my training progress and all I can say is it's hard to be back to where I was when I started all of this, but I can tell I'll adjust nicely into the routine. It's exciting. Today I ran 3 miles and it didn't hurt like it did last week. Progress.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tiredness
Last week's sessions were greuling and I imagine this week won't be any different. I'm currently fighting off a cold and I just want to go home to sleep it off. Alas, duty calls and I won't be skipping any sessions any time soon. Only a handful of months left before the season starts and I need to be in top form for my debut.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Cardiac Drift
Last night's class, in the words of my coach was "the toughest workout we'll be doing this month." Indeed. We did 2 intervals at 10/10 RPE, one interval at 9/10 and two lengthy intervals at 8/10 with a push of the last 30 seconds at 9/10. It was difficult, especially given the fact that I've been off the saddle for just about 3 weeks now and haven't run in about a month. And I've been stressed. And I've been drinking a lot of coffee and not enough H20.
We tracked our heart rates throughout the session and I noticed something odd - after each interval, my HR would increase a handful of beats before it would drop. So, I ask after class, is it normal that I would see an increase in HR after my interval is finished? No...in fact, I know of only a few athletes that have experienced this on a handful of occasions in their training...it is called cardiac drift, he says to me. I laughed nervously. He continued to give me some information about it and told me not to worry, it was probably due to stress or caffeine. Interesting, I think to myself. I'll have to do some research on this tomorrow. Not too concerned as I am still getting used to all this tracking and monitoring of my body's reaction to consistent exercise...
Today, this is what I found: http://www.serotta.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2499
Good information to keep in mind for next time...
We tracked our heart rates throughout the session and I noticed something odd - after each interval, my HR would increase a handful of beats before it would drop. So, I ask after class, is it normal that I would see an increase in HR after my interval is finished? No...in fact, I know of only a few athletes that have experienced this on a handful of occasions in their training...it is called cardiac drift, he says to me. I laughed nervously. He continued to give me some information about it and told me not to worry, it was probably due to stress or caffeine. Interesting, I think to myself. I'll have to do some research on this tomorrow. Not too concerned as I am still getting used to all this tracking and monitoring of my body's reaction to consistent exercise...
Today, this is what I found: http://www.serotta.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2499
Good information to keep in mind for next time...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Hiatus
With the holidays now barely visible through the rear view mirror, I can get back on track with training. I missed a couple of classes due to my trip home and I will surely pay dearly for it tomorrow. It has been a stressful couple of weeks and I am more than ready to get back into a regular routine.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Support a Good Cause
Good way to keep track of your outdoor activities and help support a worthy cause in the process...
http://www.plus3network.com/
http://www.plus3network.com/
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tough Week
Yesterday's class was a tough one. We did some interval work and finished off the class with 5 minutes at an 80% effort. It completely wiped me out. Apparently tomorrow night we are upping that to 20 minutes at 80%. I'm not quite sure how I am going to surive that. This is all supposed to prepare us for time trialing. Couldn't resist signing up for the January & February sessions - I love this torture.
Tonight, I am expecting another grueling workout. For some reason this class totally kicks my derriere. Perhaps it's because the computer controls all of the resistance on my bike and there is nowhere for me to hide with the instructor standing right in front of me the whole time. I am expecting to sweat buckets again (here comes the obnoxious girly part) which is rather annoying - it is guaranteed to ruin my hair (I just got it cut into a cute new style today) Maybe I should skip class and go out instead...
Tonight, I am expecting another grueling workout. For some reason this class totally kicks my derriere. Perhaps it's because the computer controls all of the resistance on my bike and there is nowhere for me to hide with the instructor standing right in front of me the whole time. I am expecting to sweat buckets again (here comes the obnoxious girly part) which is rather annoying - it is guaranteed to ruin my hair (I just got it cut into a cute new style today) Maybe I should skip class and go out instead...
Monday, December 15, 2008
I think I am crazy
...because I signed up for this half marathon and haven't even started training for it yet. this will be an insanely cold race.
http://www.hyannismarathon.com/
http://www.hyannismarathon.com/
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The computrainer is not my friend
Ok, so I've been doing these indoor training classes for a handful of weeks now, and I am finding them rather enjoyable. I decided, after receiving some insider information, to try one additional class during the week (that brings the total up to 3) where I would be hooked up to a computrainer (read: a trainer with a computer that monitors your every pedal). Yes, fun, high-tech stuff. I was quite sick last week, but decided to torture myself by going to class anyway. Little did I know that we'd be taking a baseline measurement of our fitness. Ugh. Just my luck. We did a gradual hill climb simulation and I failed at 175 watts. Hmm 175...that's a high number, I think to myself. Come to find out, that number on the relative power-wattage scale is rather low. So fine, I was sick, I'd hardly eaten all day I'll give myself the benefit of the doubt and know that it can only go up from there.
Not so fast there speed racer.
Today, we did a drill where we built upon our baseline failure measurement and pedaled away at a specified wattage and rpm for a period of time. The instructor gave everyone their target number and when she came to me, mine was significantly lower than everyone else's. I can deal with this, I think to myself. After all, I have really only been doing this for a short period of time (reality check: only about 3 months now). Problem was, I was surrounded by people who have been doing this for literally years (the guy right next to me had just completed his nth Ironman). Doesn't do much for one's confidence, let me tell you. I made it through the first set, but had a bit of difficulty keeping up with the rpm. At some point during the second set, I realized I just wasn't going to make it at that pace and signaled to the instructor to come over to my bike. "Can I drop it a bit?" I asked her. She took one look at me (my face was beet red, the beads of sweat rolled down my nose and streamed off the tip like a waterfall...and my heart rate was about as high as my failure wattage) and dropped me 20 watts. Ugh. My dignity had just left the building. I continued to struggle at this new level through the remainder of the session. When it was time to go, the instructor came over to me and said not to worry about the fact that I had to drop back (right) because my form was perfect (sure) and I would just need to work on my fitness which equated to more time in the saddle. Yes, I nodded, that was excruciatingly apparent. Until next time...
Not so fast there speed racer.
Today, we did a drill where we built upon our baseline failure measurement and pedaled away at a specified wattage and rpm for a period of time. The instructor gave everyone their target number and when she came to me, mine was significantly lower than everyone else's. I can deal with this, I think to myself. After all, I have really only been doing this for a short period of time (reality check: only about 3 months now). Problem was, I was surrounded by people who have been doing this for literally years (the guy right next to me had just completed his nth Ironman). Doesn't do much for one's confidence, let me tell you. I made it through the first set, but had a bit of difficulty keeping up with the rpm. At some point during the second set, I realized I just wasn't going to make it at that pace and signaled to the instructor to come over to my bike. "Can I drop it a bit?" I asked her. She took one look at me (my face was beet red, the beads of sweat rolled down my nose and streamed off the tip like a waterfall...and my heart rate was about as high as my failure wattage) and dropped me 20 watts. Ugh. My dignity had just left the building. I continued to struggle at this new level through the remainder of the session. When it was time to go, the instructor came over to me and said not to worry about the fact that I had to drop back (right) because my form was perfect (sure) and I would just need to work on my fitness which equated to more time in the saddle. Yes, I nodded, that was excruciatingly apparent. Until next time...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Flat!
I've been waiting for this day with nervous anticipation...the day when I'm riding along and all of a sudden my tire pops and I go flat. I always imagined that this horrific episode would happen to me when I was out in the middle of nowhere, alone and on a very cold, windy (maybe even rainy) day. Well, when it did finally happen, what actually transpired was quite a different scenario.
Rewind to last week:
It all started when I was loaned a tire to use while riding on my trainer. This will be great, I thought. I'll unhook my wheel and throw the new one on and I'll be good to go... Imagine my surprise when I walk into my office and see a circular piece of rubber hanging on my office chair. Damn, where's the wheel? Apparently "you can borrow a tire" literally meant I was just getting a tire and I would be forced to practice swapping one out.
So later the following evening I decided to give it a shot. I was able to take my back tire off without any problems...smallest gear...check...unhook the brakes...check...unscrew the axle and take the wheel off the fork...chickety check. I released the air from the tube and took off my tire and got ready to put the new one on. Piece of cake...not really...30 minutes and 2 sore thumbs later, I managed to squeeze the tire around the wheel frame. I wiped the sweat off my brow and refilled the tube with air. Well, I thought to myself, at least I got some practice and now I know I can change out a tube and put the wheel back on.
The next evening was my indoor training class. I was pretty excited to give my handiwork its true test so I hooked up the back tire to the trainer and hopped on my bike. I began to pedal and all of a sudden I heard a loud !POP! whhssssshhhh ...Uh oh... "Hey, you just got a flat" my classmate says to me. My face dropped. He hopped off his bike and came over to inspect the damage. He suggested that it may just be a slow leak and refilled the tube with some air. I put the bike back on the trainer and thankfully was able to finish out the session without further interruption. In the back of my mind, however, I kept thinking that I'd have to do something about it before my next training session - which happened to be at 6am the next morning.
That brings us to today:
After a night of restful sleep, I awoke at 5:30am thinking to myself that there was no way I could change out my flat and make it in time for training. I half hoped that by some miracle, the tire truly hadn't flatted out and I'd be spared the embarrassment of asking someone in class to assist me. Unfortunately, my hopes were crushed when I squeezed the tire and felt the hard rim between my thumb & forefinger. What do I do now?!? And then, an idea hit me. Last night I was able to fill the tube with air and ride the full 90 minutes. Today's class is only 60 minutes. Surely the tube would last that long and I could just change it out when I got to work...brilliant!
When I arrived at Landry's, I filled the tube up with air and carried on as if I had a fully operational piece of riding equipment. I set up my bike and began the warm up. So far so good. I settled in as the workout began, thinking I was in the clear when all of a sudden I heard it... "tha thump...tha thump...tha thump..."
Craaaaaappp! I hopped off my bike and informed the instructor that somehow I'd just gotten a flat. "How in the world did that happen on your trainer?" he asked me. I innocently replied that I had no idea. During this time, another rider (who had one arm in a cast) hopped off his bike to find out what had happened. He kindly brought over a new wheel and asked me if I could swap them out. For whatever reason, probably out of sheer embarrassment, I replied no. He looked at me blankly. With his one good arm, he changed out the wheel for me and told me that he'd replace the tube once class was finished. Oh man. I'd just made this guy fix my bike with one hand. Mortifying.
Class finished without any further mishaps and my one armed classmate took my wheel to the back. He came out 5 minutes later, wheel hanging over his casted arm, pump in the other. He set them down in front of me and says "you'll have to pump". I looked at him quizzically and he replied by holding up his broken arm. "Oh...right," I say, my cheeks flushing a cherry red. I pumped the tire to 80psi because that was all I could do (even with my full weight on the handle, I wasn't able to get the bar down far enough to get it to 100). Then one-armed classmate threw the wheel back on my bike for me and told me I was all set to go. So I suppose in a way I lucked out that it happened while I was in a bike shop and there were plenty of people there who could fix it for me. ;)
Rewind to last week:
It all started when I was loaned a tire to use while riding on my trainer. This will be great, I thought. I'll unhook my wheel and throw the new one on and I'll be good to go... Imagine my surprise when I walk into my office and see a circular piece of rubber hanging on my office chair. Damn, where's the wheel? Apparently "you can borrow a tire" literally meant I was just getting a tire and I would be forced to practice swapping one out.
So later the following evening I decided to give it a shot. I was able to take my back tire off without any problems...smallest gear...check...unhook the brakes...check...unscrew the axle and take the wheel off the fork...chickety check. I released the air from the tube and took off my tire and got ready to put the new one on. Piece of cake...not really...30 minutes and 2 sore thumbs later, I managed to squeeze the tire around the wheel frame. I wiped the sweat off my brow and refilled the tube with air. Well, I thought to myself, at least I got some practice and now I know I can change out a tube and put the wheel back on.
The next evening was my indoor training class. I was pretty excited to give my handiwork its true test so I hooked up the back tire to the trainer and hopped on my bike. I began to pedal and all of a sudden I heard a loud !POP! whhssssshhhh ...Uh oh... "Hey, you just got a flat" my classmate says to me. My face dropped. He hopped off his bike and came over to inspect the damage. He suggested that it may just be a slow leak and refilled the tube with some air. I put the bike back on the trainer and thankfully was able to finish out the session without further interruption. In the back of my mind, however, I kept thinking that I'd have to do something about it before my next training session - which happened to be at 6am the next morning.
That brings us to today:
After a night of restful sleep, I awoke at 5:30am thinking to myself that there was no way I could change out my flat and make it in time for training. I half hoped that by some miracle, the tire truly hadn't flatted out and I'd be spared the embarrassment of asking someone in class to assist me. Unfortunately, my hopes were crushed when I squeezed the tire and felt the hard rim between my thumb & forefinger. What do I do now?!? And then, an idea hit me. Last night I was able to fill the tube with air and ride the full 90 minutes. Today's class is only 60 minutes. Surely the tube would last that long and I could just change it out when I got to work...brilliant!
When I arrived at Landry's, I filled the tube up with air and carried on as if I had a fully operational piece of riding equipment. I set up my bike and began the warm up. So far so good. I settled in as the workout began, thinking I was in the clear when all of a sudden I heard it... "tha thump...tha thump...tha thump..."
Craaaaaappp! I hopped off my bike and informed the instructor that somehow I'd just gotten a flat. "How in the world did that happen on your trainer?" he asked me. I innocently replied that I had no idea. During this time, another rider (who had one arm in a cast) hopped off his bike to find out what had happened. He kindly brought over a new wheel and asked me if I could swap them out. For whatever reason, probably out of sheer embarrassment, I replied no. He looked at me blankly. With his one good arm, he changed out the wheel for me and told me that he'd replace the tube once class was finished. Oh man. I'd just made this guy fix my bike with one hand. Mortifying.
Class finished without any further mishaps and my one armed classmate took my wheel to the back. He came out 5 minutes later, wheel hanging over his casted arm, pump in the other. He set them down in front of me and says "you'll have to pump". I looked at him quizzically and he replied by holding up his broken arm. "Oh...right," I say, my cheeks flushing a cherry red. I pumped the tire to 80psi because that was all I could do (even with my full weight on the handle, I wasn't able to get the bar down far enough to get it to 100). Then one-armed classmate threw the wheel back on my bike for me and told me I was all set to go. So I suppose in a way I lucked out that it happened while I was in a bike shop and there were plenty of people there who could fix it for me. ;)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday Ride
Went for a ride yesterday...it was so windy I thought I was going to get blown over a couple times. What normally takes me 1hr 15 minutes, took almost 2 hours to finish. Good workout though.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
1/3 life crisis
Yes, given my recent impulsive behavior, I believe I am having a one-third life crisis. I just bought a ticket to London. *pause* Yikes.
I'm going to blame this decision on Regina, who was encouraging me over the phone as I was just (out of sheer curiosity) looking to see what prices were like in February. Just so happens, the prices were right ;) so she and I will be spending a week shopping and eating our little hearts out. And maybe we'll make a side trip to Amsterdam to see Latha and the little one...
In other news, I was exhausted today and I didn't make it out riding (or to the gym for that matter). But I am going tomorrow so I'll have to make up the extra time then.
I'm going to blame this decision on Regina, who was encouraging me over the phone as I was just (out of sheer curiosity) looking to see what prices were like in February. Just so happens, the prices were right ;) so she and I will be spending a week shopping and eating our little hearts out. And maybe we'll make a side trip to Amsterdam to see Latha and the little one...
In other news, I was exhausted today and I didn't make it out riding (or to the gym for that matter). But I am going tomorrow so I'll have to make up the extra time then.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Training
This week marks the beginning of my 'official' training schedule. It was pretty exciting to see & feel the changes when I started doing this for the half marathon and I can tell that I'm going to go through some significant changes this time around as well. The plan that I am on is much more intense than the running and it takes up a lot of time, but the end results will definitely be worth it.
I had my first coached session last night and it was a lot of fun. Learned some good stuff and it will definitely help to keep up the motivation through the winter. Going riding this weekend, weather permitting...
I had my first coached session last night and it was a lot of fun. Learned some good stuff and it will definitely help to keep up the motivation through the winter. Going riding this weekend, weather permitting...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Collide
it's not just a song by howie day... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTz7rhommHI
So I have a lot to catch up on apparently. This last week has been insanely busy and I am just now getting the opportunity to catch my breath and write. I have put myself on a tight training schedule and have to maintain 8.5 hours a week for the next 13 weeks. After that, it increases quite a bit through the spring & summer. Explanation of this to come in a later posting, but let me just say that with the time change comes darkness and it's very difficult to get out for a run or a ride post work. I am finding those 8.5 hours hard to come by. I've readjusted my schedule slightly and am trying to fit in workouts at lunch when at all possible. Tonight I hit the gym to do weights and tomorrow, I run with Andrea.
Let me now backtrack to what has transpired since my last posting. Last Tuesday I met up with two NEBC'ers for a night ride. I have a teeny light which has an output of about 1 watt. I was told not to be concerned because they would sandwich me between them since each had a super powered headlight strapped to their handlebars. Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing. So we rode and it turns out, my mini light provided enough illumination for me to get by. The ride was good, we did ~22 miles in 90 minutes. The rest of the week was filled with running & gym workouts.
On Saturday, upset by the fact that I didn't get to do a longer distance the weekend before, I decided I would go out and ride 40 miles. That's basically 2 round trips to Bedford and back on the Minuteman. Some (names withheld) have questioned my hesitation to hit the streets solo at this point since I need to get that experience under my belt. Here is my feeble explanation: a) I have NO idea where I am once I pass through Arlington and b) I'd rather have a companion with me in case I get stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat or (ahem) take a tumble and get injured.
The weather on Saturday was overcast. It had rained the night before and the streets had yet to dry up. In fact, I was afraid I was going to get caught in a downpour since the clouds looked a bit ominous. Not to be deterred for any reason, I jumped in my car and resigned myself to the fact that if it rained, I'd just have to deal with it. I headed out from Alewife and was surprised at how many people were out on the path. There is a point where you have to cross an intersection at Arlington Center (where I'd had my first mishap). Since that incident, I have quickly learned to clip & unclip my shoes and haven't had any major issues since. I crossed the street and noticed a huge pile of leaves that were blocking my way. I steered through them, realizing that they were soggy and quite slippery. Just as I was making a mental note of this, my back tire slid left and knocked me off balance and I went crashing down in front of a handful of bikers and one very concerned runner. I jumped up and picked up my bike and noticed, as a crowd gathered around me, that my chain had fallen off. Crap. I fumbled with it a bit as a man on a bike came toward me and asked if he should hold my bike while I put the chain back on. Nope, I am fine, I told him..not about to admit I really didn't know what I was doing. Once I got the chain on the teeth, I brushed myself off and noticed that my right thigh was throbbing. I hopped back on the saddle, not to be discouraged by a bruised thigh (and ego).
The ride down to Bedford was great. I cruised along heading down & back again, listening to a mix I'd made specifically for long workouts and pedaled my little heart out. Somewhere along the way, I got distracted and drifted a bit off to the right. I immediately tried to correct myself, unaware that I'd ridden off into the dirt. My front tire rubbed against the curb of the asphalt (which was camouflaged by leaves) and I immediately realized I was going down...again.
Let me pause here and mention that this all happened in (excruciatingly) slow motion.
My left thigh was the first to hit the ground, followed by my elbow. I was still attached to my bike by my left shoe as I slid across the pavement. I came to an abrupt stop, unclipped, jumped up and looked behind me to make sure there wasn't an audience watching me. The closest person was hundreds of feet away - too far to have seen anything. I did a quick check of my newest injuries - a huge bruise and scrape marks on my left thigh, as well as a scraped up elbow. I might as well be 8 years old. I quickly diverted my attention to my bike and noticed the shifters were askew and completely scraped up. I readjusted them as best I could and did a check of the rest of the bike, which was fine. With shaky legs, I threw myself back onto the saddle and took my bruised and battered self home.
As I write this, I still can't sleep on my left or right side. I've realized that this kind of thing is bound to happen once in awhile. If anything, it makes for an entertaining story. As Howie puts it so eloquently...even the best fall down sometimes.
So I have a lot to catch up on apparently. This last week has been insanely busy and I am just now getting the opportunity to catch my breath and write. I have put myself on a tight training schedule and have to maintain 8.5 hours a week for the next 13 weeks. After that, it increases quite a bit through the spring & summer. Explanation of this to come in a later posting, but let me just say that with the time change comes darkness and it's very difficult to get out for a run or a ride post work. I am finding those 8.5 hours hard to come by. I've readjusted my schedule slightly and am trying to fit in workouts at lunch when at all possible. Tonight I hit the gym to do weights and tomorrow, I run with Andrea.
Let me now backtrack to what has transpired since my last posting. Last Tuesday I met up with two NEBC'ers for a night ride. I have a teeny light which has an output of about 1 watt. I was told not to be concerned because they would sandwich me between them since each had a super powered headlight strapped to their handlebars. Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing. So we rode and it turns out, my mini light provided enough illumination for me to get by. The ride was good, we did ~22 miles in 90 minutes. The rest of the week was filled with running & gym workouts.
On Saturday, upset by the fact that I didn't get to do a longer distance the weekend before, I decided I would go out and ride 40 miles. That's basically 2 round trips to Bedford and back on the Minuteman. Some (names withheld) have questioned my hesitation to hit the streets solo at this point since I need to get that experience under my belt. Here is my feeble explanation: a) I have NO idea where I am once I pass through Arlington and b) I'd rather have a companion with me in case I get stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat or (ahem) take a tumble and get injured.
The weather on Saturday was overcast. It had rained the night before and the streets had yet to dry up. In fact, I was afraid I was going to get caught in a downpour since the clouds looked a bit ominous. Not to be deterred for any reason, I jumped in my car and resigned myself to the fact that if it rained, I'd just have to deal with it. I headed out from Alewife and was surprised at how many people were out on the path. There is a point where you have to cross an intersection at Arlington Center (where I'd had my first mishap). Since that incident, I have quickly learned to clip & unclip my shoes and haven't had any major issues since. I crossed the street and noticed a huge pile of leaves that were blocking my way. I steered through them, realizing that they were soggy and quite slippery. Just as I was making a mental note of this, my back tire slid left and knocked me off balance and I went crashing down in front of a handful of bikers and one very concerned runner. I jumped up and picked up my bike and noticed, as a crowd gathered around me, that my chain had fallen off. Crap. I fumbled with it a bit as a man on a bike came toward me and asked if he should hold my bike while I put the chain back on. Nope, I am fine, I told him..not about to admit I really didn't know what I was doing. Once I got the chain on the teeth, I brushed myself off and noticed that my right thigh was throbbing. I hopped back on the saddle, not to be discouraged by a bruised thigh (and ego).
The ride down to Bedford was great. I cruised along heading down & back again, listening to a mix I'd made specifically for long workouts and pedaled my little heart out. Somewhere along the way, I got distracted and drifted a bit off to the right. I immediately tried to correct myself, unaware that I'd ridden off into the dirt. My front tire rubbed against the curb of the asphalt (which was camouflaged by leaves) and I immediately realized I was going down...again.
Let me pause here and mention that this all happened in (excruciatingly) slow motion.
My left thigh was the first to hit the ground, followed by my elbow. I was still attached to my bike by my left shoe as I slid across the pavement. I came to an abrupt stop, unclipped, jumped up and looked behind me to make sure there wasn't an audience watching me. The closest person was hundreds of feet away - too far to have seen anything. I did a quick check of my newest injuries - a huge bruise and scrape marks on my left thigh, as well as a scraped up elbow. I might as well be 8 years old. I quickly diverted my attention to my bike and noticed the shifters were askew and completely scraped up. I readjusted them as best I could and did a check of the rest of the bike, which was fine. With shaky legs, I threw myself back onto the saddle and took my bruised and battered self home.
As I write this, I still can't sleep on my left or right side. I've realized that this kind of thing is bound to happen once in awhile. If anything, it makes for an entertaining story. As Howie puts it so eloquently...even the best fall down sometimes.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Riding the burbs
Woke up at the crack of dawn this morning in anticipation of a long ride. Headed out to Arlington to the Quad Cycles shop to make it for the 9:30am departure. I walked in and the guys working there told me that as of Nov 1 (today), the ride starts at 10. Ok. I am 45 mins early. Hmmm. What do I do? The guys at the shop told me to just hang out and so I did ... Since this was to be my first group ride and longest ride to date, I was a little nervous. They told me not to worry, that no one gets dropped and asked if I wanted coffee. How nice. As one of the guys left to go get caffeine in a cup, the other pulled me aside and said - You know, I'll tell you this since you're nice and you're new to all this. They will drop you if you can't keep up. And by the way, you're going to be cold in that outfit. huh? Great way to make me feel at ease. I looked at him funny because I was wearing my long tights and 2 top layers along with my long finger gloves .... not to mention it was already 55* outside. Well, he says to me, you might not be cold today, but once it stars to get really cold you'll need something like this - he pulls out a jacket. Uh huh. Always a salesman.
People started to arrive and I was introduced to a couple of the regular riders. Around the same time, the two NEBC riders I was supposed to meet showed up and ... we were off. We went down Mass Ave and the pace was just around 16. Not bad. We swung over to the Minuteman and headed toward Bedford where we regrouped and split into the fast and slow packs. My NEBC counterparts were kind enough to hang with the turtles and we sped off at a comfortable pace (we ranged between 17-21 and I hit my highest to date - 24) toward Chelmsford and down to Great Brook. We encountered a series of 2-3 hills that caused me to drop back because I hadn't shifted properly and I couldn't regain my momentum to catch up with the leaders. The only thing I could think at that point was oh my god I have no idea where I am...how am I going to get home? Never to fear, I wasn't the last rider and just before the panic set in, said rider passed me and started to speed away. Crap! I picked up my pace as the pain tore through my legs and followed her the couple miles straight ahead to Carlisle where everyone had stopped for break #3. We discussed the rest of the route and due to time constraints, we decided to take the quick way back down 225 (which, I have to mention is in TERRIBLE shape) through Bedford, back down the Minuteman and into to Arlington. 30 miles completed!
It was a great morning topped off with a quick lunch with N & R from NEBC who hung with me pretty much the whole way. It was much appreciated.
Complete route is here: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2370999
People started to arrive and I was introduced to a couple of the regular riders. Around the same time, the two NEBC riders I was supposed to meet showed up and ... we were off. We went down Mass Ave and the pace was just around 16. Not bad. We swung over to the Minuteman and headed toward Bedford where we regrouped and split into the fast and slow packs. My NEBC counterparts were kind enough to hang with the turtles and we sped off at a comfortable pace (we ranged between 17-21 and I hit my highest to date - 24) toward Chelmsford and down to Great Brook. We encountered a series of 2-3 hills that caused me to drop back because I hadn't shifted properly and I couldn't regain my momentum to catch up with the leaders. The only thing I could think at that point was oh my god I have no idea where I am...how am I going to get home? Never to fear, I wasn't the last rider and just before the panic set in, said rider passed me and started to speed away. Crap! I picked up my pace as the pain tore through my legs and followed her the couple miles straight ahead to Carlisle where everyone had stopped for break #3. We discussed the rest of the route and due to time constraints, we decided to take the quick way back down 225 (which, I have to mention is in TERRIBLE shape) through Bedford, back down the Minuteman and into to Arlington. 30 miles completed!
It was a great morning topped off with a quick lunch with N & R from NEBC who hung with me pretty much the whole way. It was much appreciated.
Complete route is here: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2370999
Friday, October 31, 2008
nuovi inizi
So I am trying to decide if I should continue posting here. My main reason for keeping this blog alive was the half marathon and now that it's done, I am technically not training for anything anymore. However, I did sign up for another half in the frigid month of February in Hyannis. And I now also have my bike. So maybe that's enough to keep this going for awhile longer.
Went for a ride last night on the Minuteman. It was cold, but I was wearing my winter gear and warmed up after about 15 minutes. The first part of the ride was frustrating because I wasn't able to cruise along at my normal pace. But once my muscles had adjusted, I picked it up and sped toward Bedford. I am not a big fan of riding at night and because of this I snuck out of work early so that I could make it back to Alewife before the sun set completely. Usually I finish the route in just under two hours and last night I did it in about an hour and 45 minutes. Not too shabby. However, halfway back, as I stopped at a traffic light, my right calf completely cramped up on me. Not sure if it was due to the cold, not stretching before, lack of H2O or what. I was able to shake it out and continue on my journey. But it hurt like hell. I'm still feeling the effects of it this morning...
I have a really, really long ride tomorrow, which at the moment, I think I am crazy to attempt. But there are stops along the way for lunch and ice cream (!), I'm bringing a bunch of nutrition and liquids, so I think it will be fine. Worst case, I turn around and head back...
Went for a ride last night on the Minuteman. It was cold, but I was wearing my winter gear and warmed up after about 15 minutes. The first part of the ride was frustrating because I wasn't able to cruise along at my normal pace. But once my muscles had adjusted, I picked it up and sped toward Bedford. I am not a big fan of riding at night and because of this I snuck out of work early so that I could make it back to Alewife before the sun set completely. Usually I finish the route in just under two hours and last night I did it in about an hour and 45 minutes. Not too shabby. However, halfway back, as I stopped at a traffic light, my right calf completely cramped up on me. Not sure if it was due to the cold, not stretching before, lack of H2O or what. I was able to shake it out and continue on my journey. But it hurt like hell. I'm still feeling the effects of it this morning...
I have a really, really long ride tomorrow, which at the moment, I think I am crazy to attempt. But there are stops along the way for lunch and ice cream (!), I'm bringing a bunch of nutrition and liquids, so I think it will be fine. Worst case, I turn around and head back...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Fin
I successfully completed the half-marathon on Sunday! Thank you for all of the encouragement and support I received through the training. I definitely appreciated it.
Race day started at 5am when I rolled out of bed, threw on my running gear and gobbled down a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and a luna bar. We arrived at the start line at 6am in Union Square with 20,000 other runners. It was an unbelievable mass of people. The start was staggered by mileage time and about 4 minutes after the gun went off, I hit the pavement
running. The beginning of the course went through the financial district to the Embarcadero, past all of the piers and through Chrissy Field. Just after running by the Golden Gate Bridge at mile 6, the first monsterous hill approached. I thought the worst of it was over when I reached the peak, but no such luck. The next 3.5 miles were full of running up and down hills through the Presidio and Lincoln Park. Around mile 10, the course flattened and we had a great view of the Pacific Ocean. I could see the finish line and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the course took an abrupt left had turn into Golden Gate Park. By then, my legs were burning and I'd been trying to work through some knee pain that had appeared around mile 9. Miles 11 and 12 seemed to go on forever...As I flew past some volunteers handing out Ghirardelli chocolates, I realized the finish line was only about 500 feet in front of me. I threw it into high gear, squinted at the clock to see what my time was and realized I'd beaten my goal time by almost 15 minutes. I crossed at 02:04:47, tired, out of breath and thinking that when I run my next half, I will shoot for a sub 2hour finish time.
Official results are posted here:
http://results.eternaltiming.com/event/NWM2008 under the 'find athlete' link. I was bib #9445
and (not so attractive) pictures are here: http://www.brightroom.com/go.asp?41296148
What's next?!?! Hyannis Half in February and Cycling...
Race day started at 5am when I rolled out of bed, threw on my running gear and gobbled down a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and a luna bar. We arrived at the start line at 6am in Union Square with 20,000 other runners. It was an unbelievable mass of people. The start was staggered by mileage time and about 4 minutes after the gun went off, I hit the pavement
running. The beginning of the course went through the financial district to the Embarcadero, past all of the piers and through Chrissy Field. Just after running by the Golden Gate Bridge at mile 6, the first monsterous hill approached. I thought the worst of it was over when I reached the peak, but no such luck. The next 3.5 miles were full of running up and down hills through the Presidio and Lincoln Park. Around mile 10, the course flattened and we had a great view of the Pacific Ocean. I could see the finish line and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the course took an abrupt left had turn into Golden Gate Park. By then, my legs were burning and I'd been trying to work through some knee pain that had appeared around mile 9. Miles 11 and 12 seemed to go on forever...As I flew past some volunteers handing out Ghirardelli chocolates, I realized the finish line was only about 500 feet in front of me. I threw it into high gear, squinted at the clock to see what my time was and realized I'd beaten my goal time by almost 15 minutes. I crossed at 02:04:47, tired, out of breath and thinking that when I run my next half, I will shoot for a sub 2hour finish time.
Official results are posted here:
http://results.eternaltiming.com/event/NWM2008 under the 'find athlete' link. I was bib #9445
and (not so attractive) pictures are here: http://www.brightroom.com/go.asp?41296148
What's next?!?! Hyannis Half in February and Cycling...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tufts 10k
Great 6mile run this morning - broke a new PR for the (very) few races I've done this year. Results below:
Place Divpl/Tot Div Guntime Nettime Pace age S Race#
1464 462/1545 F3039 1:00:01 56:08 9:02 32 F 1284
and Andrea left me in her dust...nice job!
1230 395/1249 F2029 58:49 54:54 8:50 26 F 3319
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
