Last Sunday I did not ride because it was 38F and raining. The week before, however, I did ride. Every week I show up thinking that it is going to be my worst ride. Every week I think this is the week I'm not going to make it. Last week was even worse because I felt like I stood out as struggling the week before.
I didn't start out well, forgetting my energy drink. Still, I started out strong keeping up with the main group with little trouble for the first part of the ride. When we got to Old San Antonio Dr I started to fall behind the lead group. Determined, I continued to ride as hard as I could. This kept me between the lead group and the people somewhere behind me. It was the first ride in a long time that didn't have a strong wind so I didn't have to fight the fact that I don't draft well. Right as I approved the HEB Evelyn and Bill caught up to me. Evelyn noted that I was hauling and that she had Bill had to bust ass to catch up with me. I felt pretty worn out at the HEB but got longer to recover since I arrived towards the head of the group.
When we headed back out I was ready for the fact that I would probably fall behind after pushing so hard on the way down. I was surprised when I was able to keep up pretty well. I fell behind a little on S1st but was able to catch up at the first light (barely!). From there I was better because there were so many lights to stop the group. By the time we got towards the city I was feeling pretty good until I pulled my calf taking off from the light at Stassney. I rode through it but it definitely slowed me down, especially on the hills.
When we got back to the BSS, Paul made a point of telling me how much I had improved. I felt really good about my ride, and even after a few minutes of cool down my average speed was 16.6mph. Which is not really fast but it's better. Every week I get better and thats all I want.
Then Thursday I ran the Turkey Trot with Kat and Megan (and Bennett, mans best running partner). It was so cold and my leg was hurting from running with Bennett on Saturday so I was not expecting a great run. We started and I didn't even look at my watch. It was tough keeping up with Kat and her friend Ashley and I was just praying that I would be able to hold on without injury. Bennett was much better at the TT than he is running in the neighborhood which helped. My leg held up and before I knew it we were at the 3 mile point. Then, after what seemed like only a few minutes we were at the 4 mile mark. Bennett was feeling great and having so much fun and so was I! It was the easiest run I've ever done. Based on how I was feeling, I expected us to come in at 10:30 to an 11:00 mile. We crossed in just under a 10 min mile!!! I could not be happier. Bennett was ready to do it again and I think I'm going to have to sign him up for a half marathon soon.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Another good ride
The week was very windy leading up to the Sunday ride. That, coupled with the fact that in my gut I knew I was coming down with whatever horrible virus had crippled Brian the week prior, had me very concerned about my performance in this ride. I knew Stacy wouldn't be there so I would likely not have anybody to fall back to either. I set a goal that I would work my butt off to keep with a drafting line and not fall back.
I was doing fine for the first half of the ride. I swear we have never hit so many green lights and I knew that as the wind picked up and the ride had less interruptions; I was going to be in trouble. Coming down 1st street I was falling behind. Paul picked me up and brought me into the slowest drafting line so that I wouldn't be alone before taking off again. It wasn't easy keeping up at times but I did; and was very happy to see the HEB.
I was still tired when we took off again but I knew we would have the wind (15 - 20mph at this point) at our backs. One third of the group took off quickly and were gone before we even finished the first mile. I really wanted to make up for the fact that I had dragged on the way up so I really kicked it up to show what I was made of. I was doing fine until we made the decision to take S 1st all the way up to Riverside. It was more traffic than I was used to plus I was very tired and having trouble breathing. There were a few tough hills and I fought hard to keep up with the group.
This week I was pushed hard to keep up with the group and in the end had some great stats to show for it.
28.86 miles
1:45 hour:min
16.4 mph ave
I was doing fine for the first half of the ride. I swear we have never hit so many green lights and I knew that as the wind picked up and the ride had less interruptions; I was going to be in trouble. Coming down 1st street I was falling behind. Paul picked me up and brought me into the slowest drafting line so that I wouldn't be alone before taking off again. It wasn't easy keeping up at times but I did; and was very happy to see the HEB.
I was still tired when we took off again but I knew we would have the wind (15 - 20mph at this point) at our backs. One third of the group took off quickly and were gone before we even finished the first mile. I really wanted to make up for the fact that I had dragged on the way up so I really kicked it up to show what I was made of. I was doing fine until we made the decision to take S 1st all the way up to Riverside. It was more traffic than I was used to plus I was very tired and having trouble breathing. There were a few tough hills and I fought hard to keep up with the group.
This week I was pushed hard to keep up with the group and in the end had some great stats to show for it.
28.86 miles
1:45 hour:min
16.4 mph ave
Monday, November 5, 2007
Wurst Ride and Race for the Cure
Last week's Sunday ride had a bunch of new people. When I pulled into the parking lot I noticed a guy sitting on the curb that looked alot like Jud. Turns out it was Jud, and Jesse. They were going to go on the beginner ride but I knew they would be better than that. Turns out Jud is a beast on the bike. During the ride I found out that they were doing the Wurst fest with a couple other people from AMD. I was so syched that I might have somebody to ride with. So last minute I was signed up for the Wurst Ride. For those that don't know, Wurst ride is a metric century that ends at a party next to WurstFest.
We met up at AMD since the ride started right across the street from AMD. The final group was Paul C., Jud, Jesse, and me. John and his wife Jody met up with us but weren't part of the ride back. We started out feeling great, the weather was perfect. There were a couple of hills but nothing killer. We stayed together pretty well up to the first rest stop. I was slightly behind Jud and Paul and Jesse was just behind me. When we set out from the first rest stop Paul left first but thought that he was behind us so he kept riding as fast as he could to catch up. We were trying to catch up to him but at mile 15 Jud took a pretty bad spill (11 stitches after the race). I fell trying not to run over him and scraped up my knee pretty badly. Paul was way ahead of us at this point.
We all met up again at the second rest stop where Jud and I got cleaned up. We were at the rest stop for an extra long time and getting back on the bike was hard. We decided to skip the 3rd rest stop to keep our legs going. When we set out from rest stop 2 we all stayed together for the first couple of miles. We left Jon and Jody about half way to rest stop 3. We lost Jesse slightly just before rest top 3 so we rolled through rest stop 3 to let Jesse catch up. After that Jud and Paul took off and I spent the next 12 miles somewhere in between Jud and Paul and Jessie. At the 4th rest stop we were all feeling the effects but were really happy with our overall time. We stopped to take a look at Jud's wounds and joke that he was still kicking our ass.
We left rest stop 4 together but, again, I could only keep up with Jud and Paul for about 4 miles, even through a random off-road trip and rickety bridge. I was feeling the affects and could not catch them. Jesse was behind me somewhere but I'm not sure how far. The 5th rest stop was up an on ramp and I swear I slowed to 5 miles an hour up that ramp. The stop felt good though. I got up the ramp and found Paul and Jud enjoying snacks already. We waited on Jesse while I tried to down some bananas to ease the cramping I was beginning to feel but couldn't bring myself to eat more than a half of one.
After that stop I was feeling really good and the rest of the ride was relatively down hill. Paul and Jud were machines and as much as I wanted to take over the lead spot for a while, I just couldn't find the energy. As we reached the city and the roads twisted and turned we were laughing and having a great time. Jesse was just a little behind us but we could see on our watches that we were going to come in at under 4 hours of ride time so we opted to finish without Jessie and wait up for him.
Final Ride Stats
Total Time 3:55:18
Ride Time 3:57:12
Distance: 61.69 (not quite a metric century)
Ave Speed: 15.7 mph
The party was pretty cool except for the horrible announcer. There was plenty of food and beer. I had one sausage but no beer. We checked out Wurst Fest afterwards but not being a huge fan of meet on a stick I was not enthralled with it. We talked for about an hour before realizing we were all ready for a long nap. We headed back to the car and home. It was an awesome day and we were all so happy we did it.
The next morning I woke up to hit the Race for the Cure. Kat couldn't run because she got sick a few days before so I was on my own. I spent as much time as possible stretching because my legs were still stiff. I started out fast hoping I could wake my legs up and get through it. Around the half mile mark I hear somebody behind me. Turns out that Paul somehow spotted me in the sea of 4000 timed runners. We ran together the whole way. I know Paul was pushing me to go just slightly faster than I would have otherwise and I'm pretty sure I was doing the same for him. We pulled into the finish at 26:50 putting my pace at 8:36 min/mile, second best ever.
I wish every weekend could be this good.
We met up at AMD since the ride started right across the street from AMD. The final group was Paul C., Jud, Jesse, and me. John and his wife Jody met up with us but weren't part of the ride back. We started out feeling great, the weather was perfect. There were a couple of hills but nothing killer. We stayed together pretty well up to the first rest stop. I was slightly behind Jud and Paul and Jesse was just behind me. When we set out from the first rest stop Paul left first but thought that he was behind us so he kept riding as fast as he could to catch up. We were trying to catch up to him but at mile 15 Jud took a pretty bad spill (11 stitches after the race). I fell trying not to run over him and scraped up my knee pretty badly. Paul was way ahead of us at this point.
We all met up again at the second rest stop where Jud and I got cleaned up. We were at the rest stop for an extra long time and getting back on the bike was hard. We decided to skip the 3rd rest stop to keep our legs going. When we set out from rest stop 2 we all stayed together for the first couple of miles. We left Jon and Jody about half way to rest stop 3. We lost Jesse slightly just before rest top 3 so we rolled through rest stop 3 to let Jesse catch up. After that Jud and Paul took off and I spent the next 12 miles somewhere in between Jud and Paul and Jessie. At the 4th rest stop we were all feeling the effects but were really happy with our overall time. We stopped to take a look at Jud's wounds and joke that he was still kicking our ass.
We left rest stop 4 together but, again, I could only keep up with Jud and Paul for about 4 miles, even through a random off-road trip and rickety bridge. I was feeling the affects and could not catch them. Jesse was behind me somewhere but I'm not sure how far. The 5th rest stop was up an on ramp and I swear I slowed to 5 miles an hour up that ramp. The stop felt good though. I got up the ramp and found Paul and Jud enjoying snacks already. We waited on Jesse while I tried to down some bananas to ease the cramping I was beginning to feel but couldn't bring myself to eat more than a half of one.
After that stop I was feeling really good and the rest of the ride was relatively down hill. Paul and Jud were machines and as much as I wanted to take over the lead spot for a while, I just couldn't find the energy. As we reached the city and the roads twisted and turned we were laughing and having a great time. Jesse was just a little behind us but we could see on our watches that we were going to come in at under 4 hours of ride time so we opted to finish without Jessie and wait up for him.
Final Ride Stats
Total Time 3:55:18
Ride Time 3:57:12
Distance: 61.69 (not quite a metric century)
Ave Speed: 15.7 mph
The party was pretty cool except for the horrible announcer. There was plenty of food and beer. I had one sausage but no beer. We checked out Wurst Fest afterwards but not being a huge fan of meet on a stick I was not enthralled with it. We talked for about an hour before realizing we were all ready for a long nap. We headed back to the car and home. It was an awesome day and we were all so happy we did it.
The next morning I woke up to hit the Race for the Cure. Kat couldn't run because she got sick a few days before so I was on my own. I spent as much time as possible stretching because my legs were still stiff. I started out fast hoping I could wake my legs up and get through it. Around the half mile mark I hear somebody behind me. Turns out that Paul somehow spotted me in the sea of 4000 timed runners. We ran together the whole way. I know Paul was pushing me to go just slightly faster than I would have otherwise and I'm pretty sure I was doing the same for him. We pulled into the finish at 26:50 putting my pace at 8:36 min/mile, second best ever.
I wish every weekend could be this good.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Redemption
The whole week since the LiveStrong Challenge I was looking forward to the sunday ride. I really wanted to know how fast I could go now that I had completed the challenge with the hills. I wanted to take everything I had learned from the 45 mile ride and see what I could do. I was so excited about it I refused to miss it even when I got a last minute invitation to a brunch.
The brunch started at 11:00 and the ride usually ended at 11:00. I knew I needed to be back by 10:45 so I talked to some of the slower girls and the agreed that depending on how slow we were going we would turn around early if we needed too so I wouldn't be riding alone. The wind picked up early in the ride and was head on the whole way. We were averaging about 13.5mph and were last in the pack. Evelyn showed us how to draft which picked up our speed to closer to 15mph. We decided to go the full distance rather than turn around early. We got to the HEB last and quickly the group turned around. I went slower on the way down because I didn't know if I would need to turn around early. When we left the HEB I kicked it up. I took off at the tail end of the first half of the group and rode as fast as I could. I kept passing people and was averaging ~18mph. I got up to the front of the group with one of the other regular riders. We kicked it up even more and formed a significant lead on the rest of the group. For some reason we thought there were still a couple of people ahead of us so we kept going. The further ahead we got the more we realized that there was nobody else. We took the ride in and at the end, when the group met back up with us, one of the guys joked that next time I would have to lead the ride. My final stat was 15.7 miles, which is not a fast average but I did spend the first half of the ride in a 15mph head wind averaging 13.3mph.
So I guess I wont be selling my bike anytime soon. One of my friends is pretty close to convincing me to do a triathlon... even though I hate water.
The brunch started at 11:00 and the ride usually ended at 11:00. I knew I needed to be back by 10:45 so I talked to some of the slower girls and the agreed that depending on how slow we were going we would turn around early if we needed too so I wouldn't be riding alone. The wind picked up early in the ride and was head on the whole way. We were averaging about 13.5mph and were last in the pack. Evelyn showed us how to draft which picked up our speed to closer to 15mph. We decided to go the full distance rather than turn around early. We got to the HEB last and quickly the group turned around. I went slower on the way down because I didn't know if I would need to turn around early. When we left the HEB I kicked it up. I took off at the tail end of the first half of the group and rode as fast as I could. I kept passing people and was averaging ~18mph. I got up to the front of the group with one of the other regular riders. We kicked it up even more and formed a significant lead on the rest of the group. For some reason we thought there were still a couple of people ahead of us so we kept going. The further ahead we got the more we realized that there was nobody else. We took the ride in and at the end, when the group met back up with us, one of the guys joked that next time I would have to lead the ride. My final stat was 15.7 miles, which is not a fast average but I did spend the first half of the ride in a 15mph head wind averaging 13.3mph.
So I guess I wont be selling my bike anytime soon. One of my friends is pretty close to convincing me to do a triathlon... even though I hate water.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
I finished!!
The weekend started out with the 5K on the steps of the capitol yesterday. I arrived around 7:00 with Bennett, who was more than ready to go. We walked around looking for Ryan and Tom who were supposed to meet us. The race didn't start until 8:00 so we were standing around for a while waiting for the start. Bennett could not sit still, and everybody thinking he was the most adorable dog ever didn't help convince him to calm down. He wandered around from person to person waiting for somebody new to notice how cute he was and bathe him with attention. He rolled over on his back, he sat on peoples feet, and he nosed people's hands all in hopes of getting a little attention. Many of the photographers stopped to get his photo.
My plan was to take the Saturday run easy but Bennett had other ideas; and my friends were also running faster than I had planned. I started out really fast because of Bennett. I took off ahead of my friends and knew I would pay for it later. There were no mile markers but around mile 2 I started to feel pretty fatigued. My HR monitor registers 100% of my max HR (which I think is off). I slowed considerably and tried to recuperate. Ryan and Tom were ahead of me at this point and I knew I would likely injure myself if I tried to catch them so Bennett and I just kept plodding along. By this time Bennett had figured out my rhythm and although he pulled a couple times just to see if he could convince me, for the most part he stayed just in front of me. I finished in 28.03 min with a pace of 9.25 min/mile; certainly better than expected.
Then today was the big ride; 40 miles for me. I was nervous and didn't sleep well due to all those dreams like "ohh my God I forgot my bike!". I awoke finally at 5:30 and readied myself for the day. After convincing the dogs it was not time to get up yet I fixed a small bowl of cereal, got everything packed into the car and headed out. I finally parked at 6:15, unloaded my gear, and headed out to find "Team AMD"; who I had joined a week earlier. I found them a little after 7:00 and, after posing for a picture or two, found the other people doing the 45 mile ride.
We finally got the go ahead to start our race at about 8:30. Right as they were counting down the take off for the 45 mile group a woman runs her bike right into me and literately falls right on me. The last thing I remember as they count down to 1 is my hand trying to break the fall and sound of somebody yelling "I'm so sorry". I took off as soon as I was up and sure that the bike was alright. I rapidly determined that I was faster than the two girls on Team AMD I had picked out to ride with. About 5 miles in though I found myself next to another Team AMD member who seemed about my skill level. I did a little better than him on the hills because he lost his chain twice but he did much better than I did on the straighter portions. Either way we managed to stay near each other the entire race. This was awesome because I do best when I have somebody to push me.
At about the 25 mile point we stopped for the big break point. They had PB&J sandwiches, M&M and peanut trail mix, and sugar cookies. I didn't time how much time we spent at the stop but it was a long one and it felt great. Coming in to the stop I started to clip out and for some reason my bike dropped to the wrong side causing a pretty brutal looking fall. I was fine and, after inspection, the bike was deemed fine as well. I knew that nutrition and hydration were very important so I took the time to make sure I did both properly. I called Brian to let him know that we were at the half way point but he had already parked and was on his way to the finish line. Marc and I headed out again feeling rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long. The PB&J sandwiches caused my stomach to cramp and my muscles were still feeling pretty worn down. Marc kept me going even though it was tough. The TX roads are so rough and cause so much friction; it was all I could do to stay above 12MPH at times.
The ride was absolutely gorgeous and made me so proud to live in the Texas hill Country. The locals were also so courteous and welcoming of the riders. As difficult as the ride was it was always nice to look out on either side and see beautiful country side. One of the best moments was towards the end of the ride when I looked to my left and saw a bunch of goats laying down with two great Pyrenees dogs guarding them. The sight looked so familiar, it took me only a moment to realize that it was Megan and Jeremy's house. I waved knowing that nobody was home to recognize it.
As I approached the finish I knew Brian would be waiting for me so I slowed around the final corner so he could get some good pictures. I had nothing left in my legs so I was happy when I knew we only had about 2 miles left and was also happy to slow down. Turns out that it was a good thing that Brian showed up an hour before I finished because he got there about 10 minutes before Lance Armstrong finished his 90 mile ride. Just so this is perfectly clear, Lance finished his 90 mile ride 1 hour before I finished my 40 mile ride. Brian was able to get some great pictures of Lance finishing.
Final Stats: 5K Run
Distance 3.1 miles
Time: 28:03 minutes
Pace: 9.04 min/mile
Final Stats: 45 mile Ride
Distance 45.14 miles
Time: 3:39:23
Actual Ride Time: ~3:09 (not including stops)
Average Pace: 12.37 MPH
Actual Pace: ~ 14.3 (not including stops)
Since I only got my cycling computer four days ago I didn't realize that if it is not on auto mode it will include stopped time in all of the stats. Next time I will turn on Auto mode and have some real stats.
Thanks again to everybody who supported me on this ride. As much as I enjoyed this one I think it will be a while before I do another one. My legs are sore and I know that it takes too much time and dedication for me to commit to any better than I gave today. Today I gave my all and I was so proud.
My plan was to take the Saturday run easy but Bennett had other ideas; and my friends were also running faster than I had planned. I started out really fast because of Bennett. I took off ahead of my friends and knew I would pay for it later. There were no mile markers but around mile 2 I started to feel pretty fatigued. My HR monitor registers 100% of my max HR (which I think is off). I slowed considerably and tried to recuperate. Ryan and Tom were ahead of me at this point and I knew I would likely injure myself if I tried to catch them so Bennett and I just kept plodding along. By this time Bennett had figured out my rhythm and although he pulled a couple times just to see if he could convince me, for the most part he stayed just in front of me. I finished in 28.03 min with a pace of 9.25 min/mile; certainly better than expected.
Then today was the big ride; 40 miles for me. I was nervous and didn't sleep well due to all those dreams like "ohh my God I forgot my bike!". I awoke finally at 5:30 and readied myself for the day. After convincing the dogs it was not time to get up yet I fixed a small bowl of cereal, got everything packed into the car and headed out. I finally parked at 6:15, unloaded my gear, and headed out to find "Team AMD"; who I had joined a week earlier. I found them a little after 7:00 and, after posing for a picture or two, found the other people doing the 45 mile ride.
We finally got the go ahead to start our race at about 8:30. Right as they were counting down the take off for the 45 mile group a woman runs her bike right into me and literately falls right on me. The last thing I remember as they count down to 1 is my hand trying to break the fall and sound of somebody yelling "I'm so sorry". I took off as soon as I was up and sure that the bike was alright. I rapidly determined that I was faster than the two girls on Team AMD I had picked out to ride with. About 5 miles in though I found myself next to another Team AMD member who seemed about my skill level. I did a little better than him on the hills because he lost his chain twice but he did much better than I did on the straighter portions. Either way we managed to stay near each other the entire race. This was awesome because I do best when I have somebody to push me.
At about the 25 mile point we stopped for the big break point. They had PB&J sandwiches, M&M and peanut trail mix, and sugar cookies. I didn't time how much time we spent at the stop but it was a long one and it felt great. Coming in to the stop I started to clip out and for some reason my bike dropped to the wrong side causing a pretty brutal looking fall. I was fine and, after inspection, the bike was deemed fine as well. I knew that nutrition and hydration were very important so I took the time to make sure I did both properly. I called Brian to let him know that we were at the half way point but he had already parked and was on his way to the finish line. Marc and I headed out again feeling rejuvenated. Unfortunately, the feeling didn't last long. The PB&J sandwiches caused my stomach to cramp and my muscles were still feeling pretty worn down. Marc kept me going even though it was tough. The TX roads are so rough and cause so much friction; it was all I could do to stay above 12MPH at times.
The ride was absolutely gorgeous and made me so proud to live in the Texas hill Country. The locals were also so courteous and welcoming of the riders. As difficult as the ride was it was always nice to look out on either side and see beautiful country side. One of the best moments was towards the end of the ride when I looked to my left and saw a bunch of goats laying down with two great Pyrenees dogs guarding them. The sight looked so familiar, it took me only a moment to realize that it was Megan and Jeremy's house. I waved knowing that nobody was home to recognize it.
As I approached the finish I knew Brian would be waiting for me so I slowed around the final corner so he could get some good pictures. I had nothing left in my legs so I was happy when I knew we only had about 2 miles left and was also happy to slow down. Turns out that it was a good thing that Brian showed up an hour before I finished because he got there about 10 minutes before Lance Armstrong finished his 90 mile ride. Just so this is perfectly clear, Lance finished his 90 mile ride 1 hour before I finished my 40 mile ride. Brian was able to get some great pictures of Lance finishing.
Final Stats: 5K Run
Distance 3.1 miles
Time: 28:03 minutes
Pace: 9.04 min/mile
Final Stats: 45 mile Ride
Distance 45.14 miles
Time: 3:39:23
Actual Ride Time: ~3:09 (not including stops)
Average Pace: 12.37 MPH
Actual Pace: ~ 14.3 (not including stops)
Since I only got my cycling computer four days ago I didn't realize that if it is not on auto mode it will include stopped time in all of the stats. Next time I will turn on Auto mode and have some real stats.
Thanks again to everybody who supported me on this ride. As much as I enjoyed this one I think it will be a while before I do another one. My legs are sore and I know that it takes too much time and dedication for me to commit to any better than I gave today. Today I gave my all and I was so proud.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Intermediate ride #2
I was very nervous about todays ride. I didn't do squats and I didn't stay out drinking on Saturday which meant I would have to perform better this time. I hadn't done as well as I'd hoped in either of the spin classes I did this week and overall I just felt sluggish. I didn't sleep well Saturday night either which only made me more nervous.
I got there early and started setting up waiting for more people to arrive. My plan was to warm up around the parking lot. Instead I noticed the seam on my brand new cycling shirt was coming undone so I ended up fixing it while I should have been warming up. Many of the beginners wanted to do the intermediate ride and there were more ride leaders than before so all of the beginners did the longer distance.
This time I kept up with the pack pretty well. I still fell behind towards the turn around point but not as much as last time. I certainly wasn't nearly as tired. We also stopped more than we did the first time and I'm pretty sure we went slower too. I can't tell because I don't have a cycling computer yet.
So in 6 days I will ride in the livestrong challenge. It definitely feels like it will be a challenge too.
I got there early and started setting up waiting for more people to arrive. My plan was to warm up around the parking lot. Instead I noticed the seam on my brand new cycling shirt was coming undone so I ended up fixing it while I should have been warming up. Many of the beginners wanted to do the intermediate ride and there were more ride leaders than before so all of the beginners did the longer distance.
This time I kept up with the pack pretty well. I still fell behind towards the turn around point but not as much as last time. I certainly wasn't nearly as tired. We also stopped more than we did the first time and I'm pretty sure we went slower too. I can't tell because I don't have a cycling computer yet.
So in 6 days I will ride in the livestrong challenge. It definitely feels like it will be a challenge too.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
LiveStrong Run
I guess that sign-ups for the 5K on Saturday must have been low because they sent an email out to all of the registered cyclists that they could run the 5K the day before for free. I'm actually really excited about this. I haven't been running much and a 5K is a good easy distance. I just need to not push myself to hard. It should be really good for my legs the day before the ride. I'm hoping I can bring Bennett too but we'll see. Another group ride tomorrow and then the LiveStrong challenge next week!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Intermediate Ride
So after the beginner ride last week I felt pretty confidant about doing the intermediate ride this week. The intermediate ride is ~35 miles and is for riders who average < 18 mph. I don't actually know how fast I ride but I was sure I could stick it out... I did take a map just in case though.
I felt very sluggish starting out and it was obvious that the group rode much faster than I was used to. After my legs warmed up I was not having trouble keeping up. It was faster than I would have pushed myself to go but I could. The last 5 miles before the turn around were down a country road with no lights so it was 5 miles continuous with many gradual hills followed by rolling hills with no lights to stop and recoup at. I fell behind on this stretch. I wasn't by myself but I couldn't tell if that was because there were other people who were having trouble as well or because they were sticking around for me. I caught up at the HEB and had a good break before starting back.
On the ride back I realized something key, I cannot do heavy squats the night before a hard ride. Because the group ride is only on Sunday I had to move my schedule around to make up for the fact that I used to do weights on Sunday. This week, having not planned very well, I did weights on Saturday. I think this will continue to be my plan... minus the squats and lunges. My legs were killing me by the end of the ride. I wasn't quite to rubber legs but I was pretty close. The worst part was that for the last ~7 miles both of my calves were on the verge of charley horsing.
One of the really cool things was that one girl in the beginner group, who has been riding for a while, finally got the clipless peddles. I thought she was a pretty strong rider even without them and she rode so well with them. We caught up with the beginner group with about 5 min left and she was able to keep up with the intermediate group for the last 5 miles and was having a great time. It was awesome watching somebody really find their potential. I hope to see here in the intermediate ride soon.
On a non-cycling but still athletic note, after the ride I rode two blocks over to where my friend was running with Team Pink in a relay marathon. My friend had already finished so I locked my bike up and came over to hang out with her team waiting for the other members to finish. While we were standing there some sweaty guy came up and said "good job! High five" and gave her a high five, they chatted for a couple seconds and then he walked off. After he left she looked at me and said "You don't know who that was do you?" I shook my head. It was Gov. Rick Perry. After I realized, we called him over and I took a picture of my friend standing next to him. Rick Perry says "Vote Team Pink"
I felt very sluggish starting out and it was obvious that the group rode much faster than I was used to. After my legs warmed up I was not having trouble keeping up. It was faster than I would have pushed myself to go but I could. The last 5 miles before the turn around were down a country road with no lights so it was 5 miles continuous with many gradual hills followed by rolling hills with no lights to stop and recoup at. I fell behind on this stretch. I wasn't by myself but I couldn't tell if that was because there were other people who were having trouble as well or because they were sticking around for me. I caught up at the HEB and had a good break before starting back.
On the ride back I realized something key, I cannot do heavy squats the night before a hard ride. Because the group ride is only on Sunday I had to move my schedule around to make up for the fact that I used to do weights on Sunday. This week, having not planned very well, I did weights on Saturday. I think this will continue to be my plan... minus the squats and lunges. My legs were killing me by the end of the ride. I wasn't quite to rubber legs but I was pretty close. The worst part was that for the last ~7 miles both of my calves were on the verge of charley horsing.
One of the really cool things was that one girl in the beginner group, who has been riding for a while, finally got the clipless peddles. I thought she was a pretty strong rider even without them and she rode so well with them. We caught up with the beginner group with about 5 min left and she was able to keep up with the intermediate group for the last 5 miles and was having a great time. It was awesome watching somebody really find their potential. I hope to see here in the intermediate ride soon.
On a non-cycling but still athletic note, after the ride I rode two blocks over to where my friend was running with Team Pink in a relay marathon. My friend had already finished so I locked my bike up and came over to hang out with her team waiting for the other members to finish. While we were standing there some sweaty guy came up and said "good job! High five" and gave her a high five, they chatted for a couple seconds and then he walked off. After he left she looked at me and said "You don't know who that was do you?" I shook my head. It was Gov. Rick Perry. After I realized, we called him over and I took a picture of my friend standing next to him. Rick Perry says "Vote Team Pink"
Monday, September 24, 2007
First Group Ride
So I did my first group ride. A beginner ride so that I could be assured a safe route with somebody watching out for things like cars, railroad tracks, dogs in the road, etc. The ride was amazing. Riding with a group is so much better than riding alone. We did about 20 miles. The pace was a little slower than I usually do but I learned a ton. At the end I went a little faster because I felt more comfortable. I don't think the ride leader realized how strong my legs were because he kept telling me I needed an easier gear. Towards the end I started kicking it up. At one point he told me to put the front derailleur to the lowest gear so I could pass everybody. I told him I couldn't pass everybody because I didn't know where I was going. He took off and I took off after him. I kept up pretty well. We didn't go far because of the rest of the group. The ride definitely made me more confidant about the Livestrong Challenge. Next week I may do the more advanced Saturday ride. It fits my schedule better and is more challenging. I'll do the beginner ride too because I really liked the people.
The one bad thing was I got a flat before I even rode. I was nervous about my tires not being inflated enough and when removing the pump I pulled to hard and tore the valve away from the tire. Pretty embarrassing but we got it all fixed up and luckly I'd brought my spare. Reminded me of the days of my Raleigh Apple that was so old the wheel would fall off and I would have to carry the bike and wheel back home from wherever I was. Little did I know at the time I could put a bag on my bike to carry the necessary tools in :)
The one bad thing was I got a flat before I even rode. I was nervous about my tires not being inflated enough and when removing the pump I pulled to hard and tore the valve away from the tire. Pretty embarrassing but we got it all fixed up and luckly I'd brought my spare. Reminded me of the days of my Raleigh Apple that was so old the wheel would fall off and I would have to carry the bike and wheel back home from wherever I was. Little did I know at the time I could put a bag on my bike to carry the necessary tools in :)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Leila Gets Legit
Thats right, I got a new helmet!My dad sent me a Louis Garneau helmet for my birthday. This is good for two reasons; 1) because I'm sure this helmet meets the requirements of the race 2) I know my head will be well protected. I believe I picked out my last helmet (for my trail bike) by uttering the ohh so frightening words "Whats the cheapest one you've got".
I've been sick so I've missed most of my training this week. I'm up early this morning, feeling much better, and ready for my first group ride. It's a ride through the west part of the city. Unfortunately it's not very hilly because its a beginners ride. I don't think I'm limited to the speed or distance of a beginner but I have no group ride experience so I still think beginner is the place for me. I'm hoping I do well enough to move to the intermediate ride next week.
On a final note, Hurrah for Sarah who is my only comment poster. For all I know she is my only blog ready as well. Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, rants, and raves. Click on the work "comments" at the bottom of each post if you would like to leave a thought.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sept 8th and 15th
I have been horrible about updating. It's not because I haven't been riding but more because my life has been a crazy stream of constant activity.
I did ride on the 8th. Did Spin class then took on ~20 miles. I did "The Hill" twice! and I honestly believe I may have been close to death. The second time up the hill I needed to stop and breath so badly that I completely underestimated the grade of the hill towards the plateau and did not give myself enough time to get out of the clips. Translations is that I busted my butt on the asphalt. Ohh well, I think everybody is allowed two falls. I don't remember too much more about my ride that day. I guess it was pretty standard. I do remember thinking that I really need to eat better. I think I just felt a little sluggish. I can't stand the "goo" packs that give you a shot of sugar.
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of riding with a friend for the first time. Sarah came over from Houston for ACL fest and rode with me Saturday morning. As both of us were tired from the first day of the festival we took it pretty easy. I think we did about 17 miles in an hour and 25 minutes or so. I learned so much from Sarah's experience. She told me about speedometers you can have put on your tire for ~$30 and she taught me about how much air pressure your tires can loose in a very short amount of time. The ride ended a little earlier than planned when Sarah got a flat tire! Rather than change the tire for a mere 30 more minutes of riding we just packed it up. As we were putting our bikes back on the truck Sarah got stung by a bee. All in all not a good ride for Sarah. I do hope she comes back to ride in Austin again.
I did ride on the 8th. Did Spin class then took on ~20 miles. I did "The Hill" twice! and I honestly believe I may have been close to death. The second time up the hill I needed to stop and breath so badly that I completely underestimated the grade of the hill towards the plateau and did not give myself enough time to get out of the clips. Translations is that I busted my butt on the asphalt. Ohh well, I think everybody is allowed two falls. I don't remember too much more about my ride that day. I guess it was pretty standard. I do remember thinking that I really need to eat better. I think I just felt a little sluggish. I can't stand the "goo" packs that give you a shot of sugar.
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of riding with a friend for the first time. Sarah came over from Houston for ACL fest and rode with me Saturday morning. As both of us were tired from the first day of the festival we took it pretty easy. I think we did about 17 miles in an hour and 25 minutes or so. I learned so much from Sarah's experience. She told me about speedometers you can have put on your tire for ~$30 and she taught me about how much air pressure your tires can loose in a very short amount of time. The ride ended a little earlier than planned when Sarah got a flat tire! Rather than change the tire for a mere 30 more minutes of riding we just packed it up. As we were putting our bikes back on the truck Sarah got stung by a bee. All in all not a good ride for Sarah. I do hope she comes back to ride in Austin again.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Leila gets clipped in
It was a very eventful week and I'm sorry I haven't been able to update until now. Thursday I got clipless pedals for my bike. I'm still very confused why they call them
"clipless" since they actually clip to the shoes. At any rate, I picked up shoes and pedals and got a stationary tutorial. Then I made my way to the 6:00 bike maintenance class where I learned all about all of the other stuff I have to buy to care for my already expensive hobby. I'm thinking amazon wishlist.
Friday, I rode around the neighborhood a little, getting used to clipping and unclipping. The unclipping is easy but I have trouble lining my foot up with the clip to clip in quickly. Saturday morning I headed out for my usual ride. My plan was to get used to the pedals and then head up the same hill I struggled so hard with last week. I was extremely humid and after about 30 minutes, I was not feeling up to trying that hill again. I rode for about 1 hour taking note how the hills I did do felt compared to before. There was definitely a difference.
I spent most of my ride being very concerned about removing my foot from the pedals before coming to a stop. I was worries that if I jerked my foot too hard I would loose my balance and fall so it sometimes took me while to apply enough pressure to get my foot out. What didn't realize is that I can still fall even when I'm stopped with one foot out of the pedal and on planted firmly on the gound... and that is exactly what I did. After putting my left foot on the ground I moved my right foot backwards to get the pedal in a position to push me forward when I needed to go. I accidentally moved it too far and found myself quite off balance. The next thing I new I was verifying the quick release feature as I reached to cushion my fall.
That afternoon, Brian and I headed out to drive the course. I think this was the first time I really realized what I was in for. The course it absolutely gorgeous in most areas, save for a few trailer parks. The problems were that the hills went forever and were often sharp curves. So many times we would be headed up a steep hill and I'd say "at least it's not very long", only to come around a bend on the straightaway and see it clime again. The down hill parts were quite steep at times and almost always ended in a sharp curve heading into another hill so keeping momentum around the curve is going to be very tricky. It's going to be an interesting month of training. I think the moral from my drive is that I don't have the option of not feeling up to riding that hill. In fact, I think I need to do it twice.
"clipless" since they actually clip to the shoes. At any rate, I picked up shoes and pedals and got a stationary tutorial. Then I made my way to the 6:00 bike maintenance class where I learned all about all of the other stuff I have to buy to care for my already expensive hobby. I'm thinking amazon wishlist.
Friday, I rode around the neighborhood a little, getting used to clipping and unclipping. The unclipping is easy but I have trouble lining my foot up with the clip to clip in quickly. Saturday morning I headed out for my usual ride. My plan was to get used to the pedals and then head up the same hill I struggled so hard with last week. I was extremely humid and after about 30 minutes, I was not feeling up to trying that hill again. I rode for about 1 hour taking note how the hills I did do felt compared to before. There was definitely a difference.
I spent most of my ride being very concerned about removing my foot from the pedals before coming to a stop. I was worries that if I jerked my foot too hard I would loose my balance and fall so it sometimes took me while to apply enough pressure to get my foot out. What didn't realize is that I can still fall even when I'm stopped with one foot out of the pedal and on planted firmly on the gound... and that is exactly what I did. After putting my left foot on the ground I moved my right foot backwards to get the pedal in a position to push me forward when I needed to go. I accidentally moved it too far and found myself quite off balance. The next thing I new I was verifying the quick release feature as I reached to cushion my fall.
That afternoon, Brian and I headed out to drive the course. I think this was the first time I really realized what I was in for. The course it absolutely gorgeous in most areas, save for a few trailer parks. The problems were that the hills went forever and were often sharp curves. So many times we would be headed up a steep hill and I'd say "at least it's not very long", only to come around a bend on the straightaway and see it clime again. The down hill parts were quite steep at times and almost always ended in a sharp curve heading into another hill so keeping momentum around the curve is going to be very tricky. It's going to be an interesting month of training. I think the moral from my drive is that I don't have the option of not feeling up to riding that hill. In fact, I think I need to do it twice.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Hills
My ride on Saturday was interesting. I realized two things about this upcoming race; that my competitive nature will likely cause me to kill myself on this race, and I am not ready for the hills.
There are a million cyclists around the route that I ride. Amazingly though, I only really see them when they are flying passed me or they are on the other side of the street. Saturday I was heading up a small but long incline when I got this funny feeling. I realized that there was somebody riding right on my tail. I looked over my shoulder for a brief enough time to see that this person was completely decked out in cycling gear. Without even thinking about it my competitive nature kicked in and the next thing I knew I was pedaling as fast as I could, lowering the gear to get more speed up the hill. If you had asked me 3 minutes earlier I would have said I was doing my best up that hill and could not do any better. When I got to the top of the hill I was dead. I no longer saw the rider out of the corner of my eye and took the opportunity to attempt to recover at all costs. Towards the end of the ride I found myself passing quite a few riders who, if not really hard core, at least spent money on bike gear like they were hard core. This made me feel great considering I don't even have shoes. How about that, me using only half my leg, passing a rider wearing a "Ride for the Roses" jersey!
My big goal of the day was to conquer one of the larger hills in this neighborhood. The elevation is about on par with some of the worst hills on the ride but the hill overall is shorter. I did the hill twice. The first time I did not raise my gear enough and found myself mashing for distance very quickly. I have no idea how I made it up that hill in the gear I was in. I felt like I was going to die. About half way up I passed an old man working in his lawn. By the look on his face when he saw me I can only guess that I looked as bad as I felt. The second time I changed gears much earlier and got the peddles going as fast as possible, knowing that the hill would slow them down quickly. I think I was doing better at the halfway point but after that the decline was exponential. In a high gear it's much harder to keep the bike under control and once my feel slowed down I didn't have any momentum and ended up mashing my way to the top again. The main result of the whole thing is that I bought some clip shoes on Sunday. I'll have to take my bike in to get the peddles put on this week.
There are a million cyclists around the route that I ride. Amazingly though, I only really see them when they are flying passed me or they are on the other side of the street. Saturday I was heading up a small but long incline when I got this funny feeling. I realized that there was somebody riding right on my tail. I looked over my shoulder for a brief enough time to see that this person was completely decked out in cycling gear. Without even thinking about it my competitive nature kicked in and the next thing I knew I was pedaling as fast as I could, lowering the gear to get more speed up the hill. If you had asked me 3 minutes earlier I would have said I was doing my best up that hill and could not do any better. When I got to the top of the hill I was dead. I no longer saw the rider out of the corner of my eye and took the opportunity to attempt to recover at all costs. Towards the end of the ride I found myself passing quite a few riders who, if not really hard core, at least spent money on bike gear like they were hard core. This made me feel great considering I don't even have shoes. How about that, me using only half my leg, passing a rider wearing a "Ride for the Roses" jersey!
My big goal of the day was to conquer one of the larger hills in this neighborhood. The elevation is about on par with some of the worst hills on the ride but the hill overall is shorter. I did the hill twice. The first time I did not raise my gear enough and found myself mashing for distance very quickly. I have no idea how I made it up that hill in the gear I was in. I felt like I was going to die. About half way up I passed an old man working in his lawn. By the look on his face when he saw me I can only guess that I looked as bad as I felt. The second time I changed gears much earlier and got the peddles going as fast as possible, knowing that the hill would slow them down quickly. I think I was doing better at the halfway point but after that the decline was exponential. In a high gear it's much harder to keep the bike under control and once my feel slowed down I didn't have any momentum and ended up mashing my way to the top again. The main result of the whole thing is that I bought some clip shoes on Sunday. I'll have to take my bike in to get the peddles put on this week.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Spin class and 16 mile ride
Saturday I did another round of spin class followed by a good outdoor ride. It had just rained so I had a good 10-15 mph head wind for a good part of the ride. I wasn't able to hit any really challenging hills so instead I focused on not lowering my gear while tackling the hills. Adding the wind made this even more relevant.
My next ride I have a hill that I would like to try. The problem is I am only finding steep hills, what I really want are long ones.
They posted the actual route but it's got some pretty dangerous roads so I wont ride it alone. I'm going to drive it next week to get a feel for the terrain. I also need to take the maintenance class for my bike soon because I'm sure flats will be common on these roads.
My next ride I have a hill that I would like to try. The problem is I am only finding steep hills, what I really want are long ones.
They posted the actual route but it's got some pretty dangerous roads so I wont ride it alone. I'm going to drive it next week to get a feel for the terrain. I also need to take the maintenance class for my bike soon because I'm sure flats will be common on these roads.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
20-mile ride and spin class
Today my goal was to do the 8:30 spin class and follow it up with a 20 mile bike ride. Stacy's class was extra hard. We did endurance drills at a quick pace adding some small resistance for the first half of class. Then for the first 15 minutes of the second half of class we did a huge hill followed by two songs of sprints. After that I wasn't sure how well I would do on my 20 mile bike ride. The ride I picked doesn't have many large hills though it does have some pretty short ones. I finished in 1 hour 35 minutes which includes all of the stop lights and the 5 minute break I took at the car to refill my camel pack. All in all I think I rode about 15 mph. I figure I can probably average about 14 mph riding with 5 minute breaks each hour which would put me at about 13 mph recorded time. This means my goal should be ~3:15.
The elevation map posted on the LiveStrong sight shows some pretty massive hills so some point soon I'm going to have to find a training group to get on some roads with better hills. I was pretty happy with my ability to tackle the hills I did. I know I could do much better if I had the clip in peddles so I could use my whole leg.
The elevation map posted on the LiveStrong sight shows some pretty massive hills so some point soon I'm going to have to find a training group to get on some roads with better hills. I was pretty happy with my ability to tackle the hills I did. I know I could do much better if I had the clip in peddles so I could use my whole leg.
Friday, August 10, 2007
The beginning
I want to thank everybody who has donated so far (Judy and Lou, Jenn, Dad, Sarah, Iffy). It means so much to me.
My first update is that I bought a bike 3 weeks ago. It took me a while to decide what I wanted. I actually test rode many bikes over a 4 week period and was going to get a hybrid when Sarah convinced me I really needed a road bike. I settled on a Specialized Dolce, which is an entry-level road bike designed for women. I got a great deal on a 44cm 2006 that they were desperate to get rid of now that the 2008 line is coming out. I love the bike.
So far I've done two 12 mile rides and one 16 mile ride. The first ride I was still getting used to the bike. By the third ride I'd really settled into the bike and things felt great. My ride is 40 miles but I'm not worried because the 16 mile ride I did right after my hour long spin class so I effectively did ~35 miles (including some killer hills in spin). I need to find some good "real" hills to practice on.
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