Cadence Work

So my training this last weekend with Playtri in Dallas really helped tonight's ride. Coach Aaron's explanation of cadence really helped out. Even with the up and down of hill country, I was able to keep a more even spin with my legs tonight. I did a lot less mashing.

Really, the best part is that I wasn't totally exhausted when I was done, which will be helpful in actually getting to 25 miles, as well as subsequent 6k run.

When I need somewhere to just ride, I really enjoy going to Leffler Commercial Park. There's this huge circle of road all the way around it where you can get in a 1.7-ish miles every time you complete the circuit.


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And it's off of the main road so there's very little traffic, and it's also just a road around buildings and parking lots so it's even less traffic later in the evening after everyone's gone home. It has some places where you can get a lot of speed up without losing your cadence, and it has some spots of steadily increasing slope to work your anaerobic spinning.

I wish it were a little bigger around, because after a 3 or 4 times around it starts to get dull like a bike treadmill. But not like a trainer.

I did see some deer snacking on some deliciously dry grass on my second and third times around though, so that was cool. A doe and a fawn. Yay!

I need to get back out to the veloway one of these saturdays.

Whatcha gonna do with all those lumps?

All those lumps up in your jumps?

I'ma gon-gonna take some potassium…

Charlie Horse knows what's up with the Potassium.

My calves are crying right now. I just finished a 4.13 mile run, and there are still parts of me that do not like running on the balls of my feet. And by parts of me, I mean everything below my knees.



In other news… why do furries have to make everything creepy?

Google Image search will always disappoint you.

Endurance Night

Oh man, what was I thinking tonight. So I wasn't able to get my run in yesterday, but I can't just miss workouts. That's a sure way to not be prepared in October.

So what did I do?

Both Workouts!

In a row...

I went and got a 45 minute, 4.06 mile run in. Went home and walked Cooper. Sucked down a Gu since I hadn't eaten since 2-ish. Filled up my water bottles. And took my bike downstairs and started my ride.

1 hour 4 minutes, 14.21 miles.


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I am worn out tonight. I am looking forward to getting into bed soon, but first I need to stretch out some, or else my calves are going to contract like a white dwarf star.

A Better Swim

Northwest was a much nicer pool to swim at tonight. I had that lane all to myself for the entire hour. And everyone around me in the other lap lanes were, get this, swimming laps!

Can you believe that?

In the end I completed 2000 meters. Not bad for being pretty out of shape in the pool.

Tomorrow: an hour of running!

A 19 mile evening

Last night was a pretty good workout all around. I'm getting slightly faster on my bike and my calves aren't hurting from running on the balls of my feet - although I did do a lot more walking last night than running. Also the arch on my right foot feels a bit tight, and I'm not sure why.

Also everyone was right - Lacey, David, the guy at Bicycle Sport Shop. Riding in clipless pedals and shoes completely changes how things feel when you're riding. I felt like it was a more efficient ride last night, and although I pedaled almost the entire time with very little coasting, I didn't feel so winded when I was done since I was utilizing my upstroke on the crank.

Tonight swimming. I've got to find a better place to swim than Canyon Vista Pool.

Bleeding for my Training

Yay! Good times this evening.





The first in probably a long line of tri related injuries. Hopefully not, but I'm sure some sort of injuries are inevitable.

Knuckle, meet gear.




While exchanging my old strappy pedals with some clipless pedals tonight, I misjudged the force needed to actually get the pedal loosened. I wasn't thinking about anything other than the wrench, and was surprised and frustrated the moment the pedal moved and my knuckle slammed into the bike gear. Went deeper then I would have expected, but not as deep as it could have.

I got it good and cleaned out, but may have a tattoo there once it heals up. Not sure if I got all of the gear grease out of the wound. I hope so though.

I'm also not sure if I should have gotten a stitch or two in this. Guess we'll see tomorrow, eh?

Swimly swimly

So at Canyon Vista pool, which is at the ritziest public middle school I've seen (a pool and a track?!), Lap Swim at 8:00p apparently actually means Recreational Swim with Lane Ropes.

The guy in the lane when I first got in didn't hear me ask if I could share the lane with him. So I hope he didn't care. Which he may have since he got out 15 minutes later. Although that was likely because he was all tuckered out from hanging out at the ends of the lane.

Swim one length of Pool.

Rest for 5 minutes.

Swim another length.

Finished! Good workout team!

The girl to my left asked if I knew about circle swimming. I replied, "Yes, but that guy is swimming to slowly and that kid is swimming too poorly for me to circle the lane with either of them."

That's alright though, cause the two little sisters who kept swimming into my lane wanted to race each other. And by race I mean thrash around a lot and not move in any way indicative of "racing".

But in the end I got 1500 M in and it's been a long time since I've done that, but it felt really good. I need to get my endurance back up so that I can actually do some sort of drills and whatnot.