Yes, it has been a while. And quite a bit has changed - in many facets of life. But first I must address the one thing that has been building and growing on me since I had my first taste: Cycling. This all started with one race last summer, which I did on a whim. And I have admitted (to my own surprise) on many accounts that I have never had a feeling as I did at the end of that race. No matter how hard I pushed in running workouts or races - track or XC - I did not get to the point of wondering if I'd actually finish without falling over. As I pushed for the finish, completely unaware of the location of any of my opponents, I was not sure if the effort would put me off balance enough to take me out. It didn't...and the insane feeling subsided slightly slower than it came on in the last 150m of the race. The feeling was a rush; not just the absolute fatigue or 'pain' of going all out to breaking point, but also the excitement of a whole 18 mile race coming down to fractions of a second. The most potent aspect of the feeling was it felt like everything I had hoped for knowing I gave it all, and the absolute feeling of muscular exhaustion and 'pain' was something I can't explain. It's just one of those things you know, if and when it happens. I thought I had gotten there in some killer interval workouts running, but it wasn't like that race.
Winter came along, and I kept doing my training for tris. I focused on running in the heart of winter to do my 22 miler on my 22nd birthday. It went great, and was an amazing experience on its own (see link). Then I kicked in the trainer, running, and swimming to prep for the tri season. For my enjoyment and improvement on the bike, I joined the UR Cycling Team and flat out had a kick-ass time with the guys. Did a bunch of races, learned a lot, and even became a bit stronger, smarter rider - feel free to check out the spring races recaps!
Anyways, graduation happened. I must have an aside to my senior week training...my most solid week training ever, by a longshot. By the numbers: Hours: 21.2 (all cardio), Mileage: Swim: 4.5, Bike: 257, Run: 44. The average run pace was 6:58/mile, and average bike was 18.8MPH. After graduation I was living in Brighton, MA with my brother - had no access to a pool, had no idea where to bike, and had the Charles to run along...plus days were pretty much taken. As you could imagine, that kinda took a chunk out of training. I was able to get some good days here and there - but only got one solid week until recently. With the clear idea that I had lost a lot in the pool and that I was loving cycling, the decision to take cycling head on seemed fair...and fun. Also, purchasing a tri bike was beyond a large reach - and I still didn't have a well-structured training program. What did I do?
So I took a massively down week. I mean MASSIVELY. For me, a day off was a rarity - last week had three (3!!) days off, and a total of 7.4 hours...in two days this week I have 7.0 - not including some core I'll do later on this evening. The down week let me relax and recover, before amping it up about 3 notches. I want to hit over 20 hours, peak 275 miles on the bike, get some running and core in, and enjoy every moment of it. I've started planning out what I need to do for workouts to make the time worth it, and - of extreme importance - maintain quality. More to come on actual training plan. This week is to feel it out, test out how I can use group rides as both recovery and workouts. Example for this week: Tuesday PVC = hard (first time this year, so 'nuff said about it being hard as hell). Thursday could be recovery if I try some intervals fun on Wednesday, otherwise will be steady, with a couple hard hills, and maybe some additional efforts if I feel good. Saturday PVC = ?, I would LOVE to get a really killer sprint in here...and I mean go for the 'win', which is beyond a reach but will be a lot of fun to make the effort at!
I just got a new drivetrain for my baby: chain, cassette, and front cogs...all thanks to the great people at CycleMania! Not only did the bike literally feel better than the day I got it, but my handlebar tape was cleaned up and retaped (without mention of it), Dave cleaned my front wheel hub because it was creaking, and I think (...but I can't verify) my front brake pads are new. These guys are great, and I'd hate if I ever find out that the geometry/fit of a Felt, Scott, Fuji, or any other bike they don't carry is optimal for me. Trek, Cervelo, Seven, or Cannondale.
If it weren't clear enough you'll be seeing more cycling in this thing - gonna try to get some running races in and a duathlon or three...and maybe a sprint tri if I grow a pair...
That's it for now. I hope to get back on track with more consistent posting! Feel free to nag me (if anyone is even listening out there) and I will be sure to get a post out. Could be about something other than swim/bike/run too...yes, I know, shocking but it's true.
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