I haven't run in 3 days and my mind has gone through all kinds of contortions because of it. My normal routine has been thrown out of whack and I should feel all disconbobulated. But I don't. I feel fine.
I never thought I'd say that. After all, running has been the backbone of my life for the last 25 years. It's my therapy, my salvation, and sometimes, my ticket to a zen-like existence that I wouldn't trade for all the chai tea in the world.
But as you know, I've got an injury. The good news is that it is much better and I can hardly feel it sometimes. The bad news is that I still need to let it heal and shouldn't run for quite awhile.
But since last Saturday, I've gotten some killer non-running workouts in. Sunday morning, I did a Spinerval workout for an hour and felt great. Coach Troy has convinced me that indoor cycling (and running) should be a part of any endurance athlete's training plan and i can see why after doing his workouts. I never sweat running as hard as I do doing a Spinerval workout.
Then Monday, I went to the pool even though there is no Master's class this week (it starts again next week). I got there late but got in about 1500 yrds, which I'm totally happy with. And the best part is that I didn't even feel tired when I was done. I could've easily done more but didn't have time.
And thanks to Tom McIlhenney (sp?) for giving me advice AGAIN. He watched me swim and reminded me to turn my head to the left when I rotate - not just look straight down. He gave me a few more tips and said I was doing great - can't say how much I appreciate all of Tom's advice and support this last year!
Then, later that day, I decided to go for a ride. My husband and children were out of town so i could actually ride without the pressure to get back to pick up the kids - woo hoo. I went through the usual routine that I've described before, of pumping tires, checking brakes, packing up all the gear, including the bike, into my truck, and headed out west. I live in "east" Greeley and I hate riding through town so I usually drive out to Monfort or The Buzz to take off from there.
This time I parked at the Buzz. There were a few men looking at me as I lifted my bike out of the back of my truck and put on all my stuff. They probably thought I was nuts but i really don't care. I just wanted to ride.
I ended up going 28 miles and had a great time! I felt really strong and fast - managed to maintain 18 - 19 mph most of the time, occasionally going above 20 mph. I rode out to Windsor and up New Liberty Hill, which is a killer hill. I always have to use my triple to get up that hill and felt this time that I didn't really have to use it but I did. I felt so good on that hill that I turned around, went down and back up it again!
Then, I headed around Hilltop Drive and out to the round-about (which is always fun on a bike) and back down to Highway 257. I don't normally go this far; I usually chicken out and go back on O street. This time I was determined to do something different, so I turned south on 257 and went up the big hill that leads to Highway 34. Although I was thrilled with "pushing the envelope" on my own, I realized that it was probably the wrong time of day to ride on any highway because there was a ton of traffic. And this traffic is flying by at 65 mph - not good.
But I trudged up the hill anyway and turned onto Business 34, which was a last minute decision but a good one. Business 34 has a much better shoulder than the main highway. I tooled along for several miles and turned south onto 95th Avenue and back to the Buzz from there. Great ride!
Its easy to run by yourself but biking is different. You feel as if you are taking your life into your hands by riding by yourself. And its somewhat true - its much easier to get killed on a bike than running. People are not as forgiving to cyclists as they are to pedestrians and plus, you can't always hear cars coming from behind (esp if its windy). Plus, there's always the fear of a flat tire and not being able to fix it and being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Not good for women. This is why its always best to ride with a group but it just aint gonna happen for me in the middle of a weekday.
Today I had to teach so not much time for exercise. I would've run if I weren't injured but I was a good girl and decided to just wait.
Tomorrow I have my first appt with Proactive, a physical therapy place. I'll see Todd Smith, who I've seen before (and knew from CSU) and who I really like. Hope to get a core-strengthening program and tips on how to keep this iliac crest injury from getting worse and/or coming back.
That's all for now!
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