Hills, hills and more hills:

I find it truly amazing what the body can do if your mind will let it, and today I had a good mind / body day. The day started a little on the cool side, and the streets were still a little wet from last night’s rain (hallelujah we got rain). I could see the trees out front swaying with the wind, and I knew it was going to be a hell of a ride, and I was right. I headed out and thing seemed real easy, on a couple of the hill I road many times seemed much smaller, and I was getting a little full of myself, BLAM. I have a real knack, no a gift for finding the hilliest routes and today’s was some of my best work. At about mile 6 I was feeling good, fully warmed up and ready for action, well, until I turned the corner and then I saw it, Mt Grayson, LOL. I knew in the back of my mind that I had to take the hill easy or risk explosions, and so early in the ride I took it as slow as I could. After paying the gravity bill I got my reward and flew like a bird, the roads we still a little wet so I had to hit the brakes (just a little) or risk death. For the next 20 miles it was big hill after big hill. I was getting my a$$ handed to me, by mile 30 I had to stop off for Rolaids, Liquid, I ate a banana and drank what I could hold and then I was off. Still plenty of hills but not as tall as the first set, and by mile 40 the grim reaper had descended upon me and I was toast. At this point my wife called and asked if I was ever coming home, the kids wanted to see a movie and then go to dinner. Wow did that sound good, get home, shower up sit in the dark movie theater for 2 hours and rest up for dinner (I feel the need for Steak). Oh did mention the strong headwinds and the hills really wore me down. I had seven mile left on my ride and I was in a bad way, I pulled out my trump card, a Espresso Love GU with 2x caffeine, and killed what was left in my bottle. And within 15 minutes I was feeling better, I was still toast, but I had a smile on my face, and the closer to home I got the bigger it got. I made it home and hugged the family, I was told I smelled bad (I’ve got girls) and I needed to shower. I popped to Advil had a tall glass of mike and the rest is history.

Would a flat course of been a better ride, sure, but I’m training, and it’s the hills that are going to make me a stronger cyclist. Do I recommend this route? Only if you have masochistic tendencies or you’re a triathlete (maybe one in the same). All kidding aside, if you’re training and want to get stronger ride hills.

What a ride, I cranked 47 miles in 2:55 for an average mpg of 16.13, and boy was I tired.

Ok, folks I’ve got to get to bed, tomorrow is another day, and I’m sure it has hills.

If I see ya on the road I’ll wave.

-Brian

Weekend ride:

Weekend long ride, a 47 miler?
If a little is good, then a lot must be great.

This work thing is really getting in the way of my training.

Today is not my best day.
The pool was closed from noon to 2:00 pm, so I missed the pool at lunch.
So at about 4:30 I thought, you know I just might be able to get my swim in after work, HA!
Then when the thing blew up and I have to help fix it, I thought 30 minutes max, then I thought, I’m a little late for the pool but I bet I can get my run in, HA!

Right now I am clinching my buttocks, smiling, and happy that I can at least workout my a$$.

-b

Run the Reagan race report.

First off I have to thank everyone who let it close off the Ronald Reagan, so, Thank you!
The race course is the Ronald Reagan Parkway a scenic 6.2 mile thoroughfare named after the late Mr. Ronald Reagan. Mister Pres must have liked hills, because this bad boy is chocked full of them and when I stay hills I mean long steady hills, the kind that kick your butt. That said, I had a wonderful time, I like hills, I like the way they test me, my mussel my mind.
The weather was great, I would say somewhere in the mid forties, and clear a bell. I start off with a sleeveless tech shirt under a long sleeve tech shirt and shorts, by mile 1; I peeled of my long sleeve and was feeling fine. I had my tunes going; a pretty eclectic mix, AD/DC, Jack Johnson, Dave Mathews, Blues Traveler and they kept me going. Normally I love to chat it up and have a good time running, but I purposely wore my tunes because I wanted to focus on running. I wasn’t really trained up to run a 10k fast, I am really in a base building stage and I ran this as a training run, plus I am a real slow runner or should I say jogger. The scenery is nothing to talk about it’s mostly trees and bushes, but the beauty I found was in the hills. The hills were up and down like all hills, but these swayed up high to the left and up to the right and when you thought you could see the top more of the hill would reveal itself as you got closer. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention when I ran down a long grade, my feet flying behind me, my stride lengthening, my heart pumping hard, I was in a happy place, it’s a memory that I will have with me for the rest of my life. I hit the turnaround point and started up that wonderful hill, soon I snapped out of my trance and it was time to pay the gravity bill. I had been running at a steady pace looking to run negative splits, because of the hills my split times were all over the place, but on this long uphill I was gaining on my peers. I got to pass a lot of runner, many they went out too fast and they were paying the price. So from the turn around you head up a ¾ mile long grade and many of the back of packers like me we were slowing once at the top it was downhill for a half mile and then backup another ¾ mile hill and over the Web Gin House exit. This was the last big hill, and by now the carnage was great. I got to the top and had to take a 30 second walk break, I wanted to run the hill and I knew I could but I might have to walk off some once I crested. Once I got to the top of the last rise it was about a half mile or so to the finish. I picked off a few rabbits I had scoped miles back and it felt pretty good to cross the line.

I finished up and ran back up the course to cheer my fellow back of the pack runners.

I grabbed a water, headed home, cleaned up and took the family out to lunch.

The race organizers put on a great post race family festival where they have lots of blowup moonwalks and local restaurants are giving out samples and you can meet many of fellow runners and enjoy the day.

That’s my perfect day (run, family, steak).

I recommend the race; the hills weren’t really that bad and it was a lot of fun to run on a completely closed of highway.
The Run the Reagan offers a Half-Marathon, 10k, 5k and a 1 mile run run.


Run log,

-Brian

Run the Reagan:

I’ve decided to race this weekend.
I am going to race the “Run the Reagan” 10k road race this Saturday. The Reagan us a must do race; they shutdown the Ronald Reagan highway so we can race. The race offers a 1 mile fun run, 5k, 10k and half marathon and a family day. Looks like the weather is going to be nice and it should be about 45 out at the start, so shorts it is. My plan is to stay in high zone 2 to low zone 3 and nothing more, this is a training run, that’s all it is, well, until the last half mile or so, and then it’s a race.

Good luck to all my fellow runners,

-Brian


What is hilly run!
Either up or down nothing in the middle.
01:13:39 (watch time, no chips)

Folks, life is good:

OK I’m back.

My computer’s hard drive failed and it took some time to get it repaired.

Training has been going fine, I’ve resisted the urge to increase the do something crazy. That’s my MO I do crazy stuff all the time, the way I figure it, if a little is good a lot must be great.

With my years I am starting to get wiser or slower, not sure which one it is, but I am putting more thought into my actions, yeah it’s premeditated. Sometimes, and I mean sometimes I follow the advice of others and if it works out and I figure I’m getting wiser.

My riding is getting stronger, I went for an after work ride today (it was 65 degrees out) and I my average speed was up one full mile per hour. I did the quick math and that’s at least 9 or 10 minutes of an HIM bike split! In a few more weeks I will be attempting to ride into the office, it’s roughly 23 miles each way. I’ve been trying to work out the logistics of proper apparel (shorts and sweaty jersey doesn’t cut it), I think I can drive in with set of work clothes and leave my ditty bag and I should be good. My goal is to ride in twice a week for a quick 100 miles a week! I am thinking of the gasoline I am going to save, almost 4 gallons, this way Soccer Moms driving their Hummers can drive another 6 miles.

Swimming is coming along nicely, I’ve been swimming at lunch and I can see the results.

My running is also coming along, but I think I am not in complete zen like balance.

I get so freaked out on the swim that I am putting a lot of time in the pool and I think my running is suffering. I know I can push my bike and walk on my hands and knees but if I can swim I’m dead. That’s my quandary, what do I need to do to increase my fitness, and what do I have to do to satisfy my head.

Folks, life is good, please take advantage of it, because you only get one chance.

No regrets.

Leave nothing.

I know, that’s a little cliché, but I believe it.

See ya on the road,

-Brian

Warm and Sunny:

This is week 4 of 18 and I have been able to make all but one of my scheduled workouts, so I'm feeling pretty good about it and a little tired.

My hard drive died and I am in the middle of getting it fixed, so I hope to post as soon as I am up and running.

-Brian

Georgia ING Half Marathon:

I just pulled the trigger on the Georgia ING Half Marathon. I think the timing is just about right for my 70.3 Florida training. I am going to give it a good effort and test myself to see just where I am.

-See ya on the road.

-Brian