Big Training Week Recap

I capped off my big training week on Saturday by lifting weights (back, biceps, and legs) and getting in one final bike ride. I rode up to and over the George Washington Bridge before heading south on the West Side Highway Bike Path all the way down to the World Trade Center Path Station. This is a ride I have wanted to do for quite a long time, and I definitely enjoyed it.

I was planning to take it pretty easy (especially when I got to New York, as I had always heard the bike path traffic was awful), but ended up getting a pretty good workout in. Part of that was due to my ridiculously competitive nature, as I sort of "raced" with a roadie along the bike path for several miles. I decided to just ride on my bull horns to make it a fair fight, and was pleasantly surprised by the power I was able to generate considering the fact I was not in my aerobars (and yes, I "won").

Finally, my big training week came to an end. I actually got in nine workouts in seven days, including four bike rides (~85 miles), four runs (including one as part of a brick, ~15 miles), and two weightlifting sessions (~1.5 hours). I am definitely happy with my biggest training week in I don't know how long. With the family back in town, it will likely be quite some time before I am able to get in that type of volume again...

Siamese Dreams

So this morning I cranked out another 20-mile ride before work. I headed out a half hour later than I usually do (5:30 A.M.), which actually made a surprising difference in terms of vehicular traffic; it was still not much, but significantly more than usual on my morning rides. All in all it was a fairly uneventful ride--I felt really strong on both the out and back, and just really enjoyed being back on The Black Knight again.

The one noteworthy thing is I rode with my iPod for the first time in a while, and decided to forgo my playlists and listen to an entire album--specifically, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, which were one of my favorite bands 15 or so years ago. I had forgotten how much I love that album--there is literally not a bad song on there. I am going to have to start doing that more often...

Big Week Training Update

As I mentioned in my last blog post, this is a big training week for me with the better half and my son out of town. I started it off with my first Central Park ride in a long while--three loops around the park. Unfortunately I made the mistake of heading over there at 2 P.M. on a beautiful Sunday, and the loop was jam packed (particularly the southern part). I was still able to get some pretty decent riding in, and I always find dodging runners/bikers/walkers/etc. to be some pretty good bike handling training. Oh, and I was smoking roadies the entire way--although to be fair any serious ones probably got their workouts in well before the crowds began to gather.

Yesterday I did a four mile run before heading into the office, followed by a weightlifting session (chest, triceps, and legs) after work. This morning I did a 15 mile ride/two mile run brick, which felt really easy (particularly the run). I am planning to get in one more bike ride, two runs, and maybe another weightlifting session this week. It seems crazy to me that this is the most I have trained in a week in I don't know how long--and it will still be a lot fewer hours than I used to put in when I was training for half Ironmans in 2005 and 2006. That is all I know right now--will post another update later this week.

Back-To-Back Bricks

So I traveled early this week to the West Coast for a couple of days, and while I was able to get a couple of good workouts in out there I was too tired/busy to train on Wednesday. Thus, I ended up doing back-to-back brick workouts yesterday and this morning. Both times I hit the exercise bike at the gym for 40 minutes, followed immediately by a two mile treadmill run. The Black Knight is actually in the bike shop once again, as I hit a pothole late last week on a ride and broke a spoke (which was a first for me).

While neither of the bricks was terribly difficult, I felt good about the fact I was focused and disciplined enough to make up for the workout that I missed. Next week the family is out of town, so I am really going to hit the training hard, including possibly working out a day or two with Hoboken's Gold Coast Triathlon Club, which I plan to join. That is the update for today--not terribly exciting I know, but at least you did not have to wait months for it like the last one!

Back To Blogging (And Bricking)

Once again months have lapsed since my last blog entry. I wish I had some worthwhile reason to give for the lack of entries, but unfortunately sheer laziness will have to suffice. The good news is since I have not blogged in so long, theoretically I should have something somewhat interesting to report. So let's get to it, in a numbered list:

1. My training is going quite well. I have been pretty consistently running twice a week, riding twice a week, and lifting weights once a week. I was on vacation last week and was only able to get a couple of runs in, but that was to be expected.
2. I started riding outside about a month ago, my first rides on my bike in two years. I forgot how much I enjoy riding my bike. I also once again discovered that spin bike rides are actually really good at base building--I felt very powerful from the first time I got back on my bike, and am easily able to hold 18-20 MPH on my 15-20 mile rides.
3. I have also done a few bricks (15 mile bike, two mile run) and am THRILLED with how good my legs feel coming off the bike. This morning I nearly broke 14:00 for my run, and have consistently been in the low 7:00/mile range.
4. I have signed up for the New York City Duathlon on September 16th (which incidentally is my birthday). This race will represent coming full circle for me--my first multi-sport race was in Central Park many years ago.
5. I am still keeping my weight below 180 lbs., although it has drifted up a bit over the last several weeks. I have recently cut back on the Starbucks every work day morning, which predictably has worked wonders.
6. I recently read two triathlon-related books recently on my Kindle: A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey by Chrissie Wellington and Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run: From Common Man to Ironman by Andy Holgate. Without going into full book reports, I recommend the former, not so much the latter. And no, reading them did not stoke my fire to do an Ironman one day (quite the opposite, in fact).

So that is the update--more to come later!