A few hours after my swim on Thursday, I went for a run. I don't know what it is about running right now but I felt great again. Ran 40 mins and just didn't want to stop. But I knew I had to because I was supposed to bike for 6 hrs on Friday. So I did but it was a great run.
Yesterday was an interesting day. The plans changed by the minute, due to the weather, and this is what I ended up doing: rode the trainer for 90 mins and then rode outside for 3.5 hrs.
The trainer part was not bad. I watched the Today Show, something I never do and that was kind of nice - got caught up on all the news of the day, watched a bazillion commercials (one reason I don't watch TV anymore) and just kept spinning.
I didn't go very fast. That kind of bothered me - I just didn't have any power in my legs. Later, I realized it was probably because I had ridden 4.5 fast miles only 5 days before this ride (plus two fast runs). That made me feel better. But still, I kept wishing I had more energy.
After getting off the trainer, it took a good 20-25 mins to get ready to go outside. The temp was 33 degrees! I had never ridden in such cold weather before. I had to take the bike off the trainer and carry it upstairs, pump up the tires, check the brakes, fill my water bottles (and add Gatorade powder), get dressed - cycling shorts, tights, long bra, silk t-neck, long-sleeve cycling shirt, jacket, beenie, helmet, gloves, cycling gloves, and mittens - then get energy bars and gu's, cellphone, ID bracelet, camera (just in case I see something cool!), money, and sunglasses (even though it was foggy and cloudy) - whew! No wonder I don't bike often in the off-season, it's takes too frickin' long to get ready!
Finally out the door at 9:18 AM. Cold, cloudy, and a little breezy. I wore booties over my shoes for the first time and loved them! They kept my feet warmer for much longer. I was freezing as I started out and disappointed in the dreariness of the sky. Not at all like my usual rides in warm, sunny weather.
I headed out west like I usually do. Rode to Windsor on O Street, stopping at the Poudre Learning Center to use the port-a-john. I had finally warmed up a little by the time I got there and the wind had picked up so by the time I got back on my bike, I was freezing again.
One thing I learned is that warm gloves are a must. With running, I usually wear a thin glove when the temp is in the 30's. But with cycling, esp long rides when you are in the aero position, your hands are out front, not moving, holding onto a METAL bar that happens to be ice cold. Not good. Within minutes my hands were frozen.
The other thing I learned is that running tights don't work well for cycling. My knees and the tops of my thighs were very cold. I needed leg gaitors (or whatever they call those things) that provided thickness over the knees and upper thighs.
I am glad I wore a beenie on my head and the long bra (covers my belly). But I never warmed up like I do running. I was chilled the entire time, which made the ride very unpleasant. I needed one more layer.
I rode to Windsor, then out to Crossroads Blvd and took that all the way to the Resurrection Fellowship church (or whatever it's called - the ugliest church I have ever seen!), then north to the Budweiser Events Center, where I stopped for a quick snack (and froze my buns off), then back to Crossroads, Windsor, O Street and back home.
I kept a steady pace but again, it was not very fast. I just didn't have the "umph" to go hard. Probably good that I didn't ride with anyone else because I surely would've held them back.
There are pros and cons to riding alone. The pros are that you can go your own pace, stop when you want to, and just "be in your own head". I do like that a lot. The cons are that it's kind of boring and lonely. I don't get the zen that I do with solo running. But you get the job done.
So, I ended up with 5 hrs instead of 6. I was told that riding one hour on a trainer is equal to 2 hrs on the road (not sure if that's right but that's what I was told), so I guess it would still count. But I didn't have a choice because I had to be back to teach at UNC by 1:30.
Today we're running 3:15. I'm leaving in 30 mins to meet Marshall at Sanborn park and we'll run to Jenny's and meet a group of friends (not sure who will be there). Then, run the remainde of time there.
It's very cold out now with 1/2 inch of snow on the ground. Time to go layer up and get out the door. The good news is that there is no wind (so far!). And I got to watch two foxes frolic right outside my window this morning while I sipped on coffee. Getting up early does have it's advantages sometimes.
Today is the Hawaii Ironman. Wishing Jim and Wendy good luck and Godspeed!
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