Description

An admitted shoe geek waxes philosophical about running, triathlon, and life in general.
Comments welcome!


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug.

Dire Straits sang that back in 1991 (from the song The Bug, on the On Every Street CD).

Yep, some days you wear the cape, some days it wraps around you and becomes a burden. Some days You're the hero, some days the damsel in distress.

Some days you've got it, some days it's got you.

Most of my training lately has been my "daily" lunchtime rides from work. An hour plus, varying in the 19-24 mile neighborhood (depending on whether there are meetings scheduled around lunch -- WHY do they do that?). They've been going well, average speed slowly climbing. I've had a few that have hit north of 20mph, including all the slow-downs and speed ups from intersections that maddeningly drop the average speed. And that's on the road bike. I've had the tri bike out a few times, and since I don't have a computer on that one, I fly blind until I'm done and can take a look at Strava. No number in front of my eyes egging me on to push harder.

Those days I come back to my desk tired but feeling good. That cape is flapping in the wind behind me.

Today, not so much. Tired, mentally dull, cloudy weather and cool temperatures (that I would have seemed so warm just a few months ago), and I'm just not into it this go-around. It happens. On those days it's often better to just chill, take the day off. Rule #5 doesn't apply here.

There are times when I tell myself that I'll just start the workout, and re-evaluate in 15 minutes. Usually by then I'm into it and feeling better, and can roll through with no problem. But there are the rare times when I know it won't go well, so it's just better to hang it up for the day, recharge the batteries, and take after it again the following day.

If I were going by some real training plan, I'd likely have rest days scheduled in...

This one is hopefully timed just right for the event I'll be doing in 9 days.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Where has the summer gone?

It's hard to believe that we're staring at the middle of August already. Where has the summer gone? Where has the YEAR gone?

There's talk of school, of cyclocross season (a fall/winter cycling psychosis), an end-of-the-season race and party for the youth triathlon team I help coach, all the signals that point toward cooler (and wetter) months coming all too soon. But we've still got another month (I hope!) of good weather coming.

This has been a roller-coaster week, though. Good and bad happening all around. On the good side:

* Last Thursday I dropped off my wife's bike frame and fork at the powder coater. It should be finished today. Pics will be posted.

* Monday was my younger daughter's first birthday. She's just taking her first steps, soon to be walking.

On the bad side:

* Tuesday was my father's birthday, the first since he passed away earlier this year.

* The suicide of Robin Williams has weighed on me, for several reasons.

I scheduled a ride on September 20th, the day after I hit 51. It's a repeat of a ride that Steve Hampsten (Hampsten Cycles) put on last summer, and I wanted to do the course again this year. With Steve being very busy, I decided to just throw it together myself. Should be fun, 60 miles, mostly on gravel, with a two-mile tunnel just past the half-way point.

I'm also realizing that I may not be able to get the frame for the tri team completed by the end-of-season party. I was hoping to have it there to display/show off. I may be able to get it assembled (the frame), but I wouldn't want to hang parts on it before it's been prepped (bottom bracket faced/threads chased, head tube reamed and faced) and painted. Some busy build time ahead.

So hopefully things are going well in your camp. Be sure to hit the back-to-school sales and check your supplies lists...