The Suitcase of Courage

Blackpoint Ride with Rich & Jay - 5/12/2014

Since the Saybrook Seaside Shuffle on April 26, things got especially busy at work and it was all I could do to keep up some semblance of training (I started training for a 10k now, natch) and riding some when I could.  But the 2014 legislative session adjourned midnight May 7th and, after a few light days of riding/running/sleeping, I was ready for a Long Ride.

The forecast for the following Monday, May 12 looked Spectacular and I decided to use some hard-earned comp time to take the day off.  I put my plans out on the internets to see if anybody could join me, and Rich and Jay texted that they could.

We'd planned on meeting at the Baldwin Bridge and heading over to Blackpoint, but when I got to the bridge, nobody was there.  I thought they might be at the other (east) end, and they weren't there either.  I waited a bit longer and when they didn't show, I texted them my regrets and continued on my own.

I'd only gotten about 1/4 mile further when my phone started dinging with texts.  Jay had been waiting for me at the VFW lot on the west end of the bridge.  We had literally been waiting for each other about 50 yards apart for about 10 minutes, a row of cedar trees obscuring our our seeing each other(!)

As we were laughing about this, we see another cyclist come barreling toward us - Rich, who had miscalculated his time and totally missed my text.  He'd figured he'd either try to chase us down or intercept us, but as it turned out, we were all together and able to head out as a group.

I'd planned on our first coffee stop to be at a little place on Crescent Beach in Niantic, but as we got there we discovered it was probably still a little too early in the season.  It was closed.  Fortunately, Rich Had A Plan and ended up introducing me to a NEW coffee shop, one that will quickly become a favorite: Cafe Sol in Niantic.

 

We had a really great time chatting over espresso and biscotti, all Euro-like, but - being only about a 1/3rd of the way through the ride - needed to get back on the road.  Click on the "Blackpoint" link above for an even-more-leisurely ride where I took more photos of this beautiful loop.

We continued up the east shore of the Niantic River to Rt. 1 and then north up the Grassy Hill Road climb in Old Lyme.  Given our long-ish coffee stop, we rode this section of the ride fairly "briskly" to make up some time, but by the time we got to Hamburg, the scenery was Just Too Pretty to blow past.

We continued to the next stop - Ashlawn Farm Coffee - but when we got there, we realized it was closed.  We still stopped though because it's such a beautiful location.

Despite a little bit o'hammerin', Jay and Rich needed to split off and get to some other appointments.  But we were able to jet down 156 to the Bridge (as we Always Must Do whenever leaving Ashlawn) and the guys continued over the bridge as I decided to stop for a much-needed breakfast at another favorite stop - Koffee Works.

 

Sitting there with a (relatively) healthy applewood bacon & egg panini and iced coffee, having just finished such a beautiful ride with good friends, I couldn't think of a better way to kick off the Post-Session Season.

Seaside Shuffle 5k - April 27, 2014

First off - here (finally) is a pic of the award I got for coming in 2nd in my age group at the Bloomfield Race back on April 26:

And here is a pic of the number I got for the race the next day - The Old Saybrook Seaside Shuffle:

 

I chose not to think of it as a harbinger of anything - my last name starts with an "A" (Adams) & I think the number 1 bib went to an Ackert.

It was a beautiful day for a race and my legs felt pretty good despite having run the previous day.  As a bonus, I got to race with some local friends Jen & Rich.  Well, run "with" isn't quite accurate.  Unlike the other two races I've done, there wasn't much of a start line - everybody just clustered in the parking lot.  And when the whistle blew, almost everybody started sprinting (or close to it).  Before we got out of the lot, Jen & Rich were already way ahead.  I had my music, so I was just determined to stay in my own rythym.

That plan worked out well.  I was able to finally reel Jen in a bit past the half-way mark and I just about caught up to Rich with about 1/2 a mile left to go.  He looked back - probably to figure out who was huffing and puffing so loudly - and kept just ahead of me until I started sprinting.  We ended up crossing the line together - but not quite like these guys (thanks for the great pic Keith and Jeff):

I wish I had a photo of Rick and I crossing the line, but Old Saybrook's Seaside Shuffle was a fun race, and right in my town.  I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year!

The Stats:

5k in 22.55.6 @ 7:23/mi pace

20th/50? overall

5th in my age group (out of 8), 16th out of 33 men

PRs & Podiums (well, podiUM, and then not totally) - Bloomfield 5k, 4/26/2014

Hmmm.... where to start.  Well, I guess at the beginning - or at least since the last post.  I'll do my best to hit the highlights and not bore you (or wear out my fingers) with a play-by-play.  Suffice it to say that the past few weeks have been pretty well packed with racing, both on foot and on the bike. So, without any further ado . . .

Bethel Cat 3/4 and Pro123 crits - April 13

As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to support my buddy SDC in the last of the Bethel races for 2014.  This is the first year in, like, forever that I haven't done all/most of this 6 race series in March/April. But I couldn't let the last race go by without jumping in - especially since it may be the last race there forever, not just for the year.

I was more nervous lining up than usual, knowing that most of the rest of the pack already had at least 5 races in their legs.  But I did well, not only held my own, but chased down a few breaks as well.  So I had some effect on the race, but it was hard.  Teammate Joel led out SDC at the end - there were a bunch of guys up the road at that point, but SDC won the field sprint.

Then, figuring it'd be a good workout (as if I hadn't already pummeled myself enough) I lined up for the pro race.  I can actually say that I effected the outcome of that race because I lined up at the front and at the gun, one guy took off with me trailing him (and leading the pack).  Then another guy went past me and up the road.  I was still leading the pack.  I actually led the pro race more than half a lap before I looked over my shoulder and said "Really?! You're gonna let me pull your sorry butts around at this pitiful speed as those guys go up the road?" (or something like that).  The bottom line: those two guys held their break the entire race and won 1st/2nd.

And I'm the one that (inadvertently) caused the split that let them slip away.

I only lasted 9 more laps, for a total of 10, before I decided my legs had had enough of the hill and pulled out.  But I felt good & strong, surprised that the worst pain was from the saddle.  Need to ride more.  Oh, and I didn't crash.  So that was a plus.  Unfortunately, the next race I wasn't so lucky.

Ninigret Cat 3 April 19

Any race at the track at Ninigret (in Charlestown, RI) is a fun race.  It's pancake flat, but always windy.  And this particular race was one of the windiest.  I always do well here, so I was looking forward to the confidence-boost.

SDC, Joel & I lined up together again - and we had teammates Stan & Mike in it as well, so we were feeling pretty good about our chances.  Stan won the Plainville crit series a few weeks back and is riding super strong.

I felt pretty good too, though this race was a lot more strung out than Bethel so there were fewer places to hide and recover.  And being flat, you were all-out much of the time.  I  really felt the effect of not having much racing in my legs - they were really tired a lot of the time, especially after the hard efforts needed to hang onto wheels.  But I was able to bring back a few breaks, and actually got into a few breaks myself, though none of them stuck.

So as we got down to single-digit laps, I started thinking about the finish - whether I'd be able to help Stan or SDC, or even be able to do something myself.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.  The wind was strong and a headwind on the finishing straight. So just about every time we hit that wall of air, we'd slow down, spread out, and bunch up.  And of course that's the best time for attacks to go too.  Given all the difference in speeds, the finishing straight was pretty sketchy much of the race.  As we were coming into the bell lap - just one lap left to go - guys bunched up and slowed down just as a bunch of other guys tried to move up.  The result was inevitable - a huge pileup.  Unfortunately, I was got caught up in it.  Fortunately, I landed on a bunch of dudes so I escaped (relatively) unharmed.

But unfortunately, again, my bike wasn't so lucky:

 

Wheels got knocked out of true, but the worst was that I basically demolished my nice Campy Record carbon lever.  Ouch!  Skin heals, and insurance covers broken bones, but destroying Campy compenents really hurts.  Bike's with friend Adam for rehab, and fortunately I have an old pair of Campy Veloce levers.  Hope to have it back tomorrow.

Burn Calories for Fuel 5k Bloomfield, April 26

Saving the best for last, today was the highlight of my recent racing - but it didn't start out that way. I'd pre-registered for the Bloomfield race as well as the Old Saybrook Seaside Shuffle, so when I woke up to rain this morning, I didn't (allow myself to) think too much about bailing out.  I'd been running every other day since crashing (and since I didn't have a bike anyway) and I just started a 10k training program.  So I was eager to see how I'd do.

I got to the race venue and it was still raining, though lightly.  Fortunately, registration was in a big, warm gym and had nice locker rooms and bathrooms.  So I got my bib, changed into a combination of clothes I thought would be best given the conditions, and headed to the line with about 90 other racers.  And THIS time I remembered to bring my music.

When the horn blew, we were off.  I'd started at the back deliberately so I could go at my own pace and get a little motivation from passing folks if I could.  I was eager to see what the clock would say at my first mile split.  When I saw 7:50 I took my mind off my legs for a bit to calculate what I wanted for a time at the next split.  I figured 10 seconds faster so 7:40 - or 14:90 total.  Um..... Ok, I'd have to be at 15:30 at the next clock to be on time.

Well, I saw "15:30" - but ended up I was still a ways away.  Turns out, I did my first two splits within a second of each other - 7:48 & 7:49.  I was determined my last split would be much better.

That last mile hurt a bit, but I hit 7:03 for the last split and stopped the clock at 23:35, more than two minutes faster than my Niantic time and at 7:36 pace, well below my sub-8 minute mile goal.

And Strava told me I'd collected 5 PRs for the day, including my first sub 7 minute mile.

Very cool.

I met friend Daniel at a nice breakfast place he told me about and had a celebratory stack of apple fritter french toast.  He asked how I did and when I told him he asked how I did in my age bracket. I had no clue.  So, curious, when I got home, I checked.

Podium, baby!  Unfortunately, I missed the awards ceremony.  It didn't even occur to me that I'd place and I'd been so focused on changing out of my wet clothes and getting to breakfast that I'd left the race as quick as I could.

Oh well, at least I know how I did - and now, through the wonders of the internets and blogs, so do you :^)

So now I'm focused on making sure there is a "next time."  I'd hate for today to be the only time I do so well - and miss out on the festivities.

The Saybrook Seaside Shuffle is tomorrow.  I've never run two days back-to-back, much less two races.  So I'll see how I feel and how sore I am from today.  But I'll be trying for an encore performance.

More Races!

It's been a busy bunch of weeks lately, but things are going well. After my First 5k, my left ankle was a little sore, but I ran the following Monday anyway. Then it got REALLY sore, so I decided to go back to the bike for a while, coming up with a quick&dirty 4 week training program to get me in quick shape for my first bike race of 2014 - the Mystic Velo Crit at my favorite track: Ninigret in Charlestown, Rhode Island. That's a week from tomorrow.

But a few things have come up - all good, fortunately. Firstly, I promised my new buddy & coworker Daniel that I'd reciprocate his joining me for the Niantic 5k by joining him in Bloomfield for a 5k on the 26th. And that's a day before the next 5k I had planned already - the Saybrook Seaside Shuffle on the 27th.

Then I heard through the grapevine that SDC - promoter of the historic and well-regarded Bethel Spring Series of criterium bike races - would likely need to either fold or move his races, so this might be the last year in Bethel. I haven't raced a single Bethel race this year, but when I heard the news, I decided I HAD to make it to the last race at least. And that's this Sunday.

Ugh.

I'm not really ready to race my bike yet, and certainly hadn't planned to, but it's only a week earlier than Ninigret and - heck - I could use a hard bike workout. This morning's Friday Morning Throwdown was a cold-slap reminder that there are all kinds of fitness and just because I've been doing well running (no more sore ankle!) doesn't mean my bike racing is all that great - I still need miles in my legs and compared to past years, I'm at about only 20-30% of where I usually am this time of year.

But I'm having a blast doing two sports - even if I'm not doing either one of them well, at least I'm doing them. I'm off the couch, and that's a good thing.

So lots of racing, both on foot and on bike, the next few weeks. And did I mention that it's my busiest month of the year at work? %^)

Guess I'll get some stress relief if nothing else! Watch this space for what should be some pretty interesting race reports...

Happy Spring!

My First 5k - O'Niantic, 3/15/2014

I can now join the many folks that have done a diary or blog entry with that title.  I ran the O'Niantic 5k this morning and Had A Blast!

After all the obsessing over preparation, what to pack, etc. it really, truly wasn't stressful at all.  Not at all like my first bike race.  I woke up (surprisingly well-rested considering I'm still trying to get over a persistent cough) texted my buddy Daniel to see if he was gonna make it, had a quick bowl of oatmeal, poured my coffee, grabbed my stuff, and got out the door.  20 minutes later, I was at the parking lot.

The sky was still looking pretty threatening, but the forecast told me it'd clear up - and I couldn't help but smile at all the runners, most of them in some sort of St. Patrick's Day garb.  Not having a bit of green on myself, I made my way to check-in to get the main thing I came for - the green knit hat.

I showed my number, got my hat, and that was it.  No signing in, no fuss.  Pretty cool.  Pre-reg'ing is great.

So with my green on, and Daniel strolling over, we decided to see what there was to see.  There was certainly a LOT of stuff you could buy if you decided at the last minute you wanted a costume.  I wanted to be sure to meet up with friends Anthony & Carly, figuring (naively) that Carly would be easy to spot in her green tutu - until I saw the sea of green tutus all over the place.  I passed on buying any more green.  Maybe it was all the dressing up, but the whole atmosphere was festive, with a DJ, Irish music (naturally), and smiles all around.  I almost felt a little too seriously-dressed.

With 30 minutes left til start time, we headed back to the truck to drop off stuff and for me to pin on my number (future tip: pin it on ahead of time) and with 20 minutes left we took off on a brisk warmup walk to the starting line.

I couldn't believe how many people were there!  SOOO much different than a bike race (unless you count the 5 Boro, but that's hardly a race).  They took up the entire road, from curb to curb.  Daniel and I did a light jog up and down a side street, then sauntered over to the edge of the sea of people.

Contrary to what I expected, almost everyone had headphones.  I regretted not having my music with me since I've never run without music before (high school gym class and soccer games don't count), but I figured it'd be interesting to see how I'd do when it was just me and the sound of feet flapping and lungs panting.

Based on some good advice, I decided to stay near the middle/back of the pack and start off slowly.  Daniel assured me that my personal time (based on the timing chip in the bib) wouldn't start until I crossed the starting line, so when the air horn went off, I was in no hurry.

It was a really cool scene - I imagined I was a stick floating slowly on a stream, but heading toward a waterfall.  I could see the front-runners heading off at the horn and then the folks after them.  We started off by just shuffling along.  Then we broke into a walk.  The closer we got to the starting line, the quicker we walked and by the time we got to the line, we were running.

But not too fast!  I did a nice, easy jog - determined to achieve that "reverse split" I read so much about.

Got to Mile 1 and - thankfully - there was a digital clock set up there reading "9:53"  Now that was a little TOO slow, so I picked up the pace a bit hoping to see "18:00" when I got to Mile 2.

I'm proud to say that, without looking at my Garmin, I hit Mile 2 at 18:04.  Now that's more like it.

I don't know whether there was a clock at Mile 3 - if there was, I didn't see it.  I'd finally found a rhythm where I was exhaling every third beat of my shoes and, while I knew I couldn't hold that pace forever, it was surprisingly comfortable enough to keep going.  There wasn't even any ankle or knee pain.  I knew at that point that I'd make it the whole way without walking.

As I rounded the 2nd to the last corner, I picked up the pace significantly - and I was glad I had enough left to sprint from the final corner to the finish, just like in a bike race.

Daniel and I had lost track of each other during the race, as we had expected we would.  But we'd promised that we'd wait for each other at the finish.  I didn't see him so I grabbed my medal and a bottle of water and had just enough time to get on the other side of the fence so I could cheer him in.

What an awesome feeling!

I came in at 25:38, at an 8:15/mi average.  And according to my Strava, I'd done the reverse split I'd hoped: 8:57, 8:11, 7:30, and 6:45.

Unlike a bike race, you're really competing against yourself.  And even though I find that strangely refreshing, I also couldn't help looking up the result when I got home:

285th out of 1,390.

Heh - that's pretty humbling.  But I came in 16th in my division, so that's pretty cool for my first race.

No matter.  My goal next time isn't to do better against anybody else - I just want to get below an 8 minute mile average.

We hung around a bit, watching the other runners come in and then, miraculously, we ran into Anthony and Carly at the after-party (she was no longer wearing her tutu).  As great as the race was, it was just as cool hanging out afterwards.

So the verdict on my first 5k?  All kinds of awesome!  I'm already looking forward to the next one.

But, first, I probably need to buy myself some shorts (BION, all I own are bermuda shorts & bike shorts)....

***

Just so I don't forget for next time, here's what I packed:

• Bib/number (if you pre-reg'd)
• Shoes, socks
• Shorts/tights, jeans
• Shirts - long sleeve baselayer, short sleeve t-shirt
• Jacket
• Garmin
• Car key
• Road ID

I put the key on the RoadID chain and carried the Garmin in my hand.  I had my phone & earbuds with me, but left them in the truck.  Which brings me to what I'd add to the list:

• Small waist pack

My buddy Daniel agreed that if I wore it to the mall, it'd be a little too retro/80s.  But for a running race, it'd be fine.  And it'd sure be handy for carrying the Garmin & phone/ipod without having it bounce around in any pockets.

Oh, and headphones.  I'm definitely running to some tunes next time....

5k Eve: Doubt & the Last Two Weeks

So this is when the doubt sets in.

Actually, it started this past Monday.  As I got within days, rather than weeks, of running my first 5k race, I experienced some feelings I hadn't had since before my first bike race (way back) in 2006.

What have I got to prove? Why do I need to do this?

Back in 2006, the answer was pretty clear - "Because I Can."  I'd been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease a few years before and my first bike race was the culmination of a period of health reassessment and discovering a type of exercise I didn't loathe.  The thrill of competition and the many friends I ended up making along the way were the surprising icing on the cake.

It's a bit different now.  I'm 8 years older and shouldn't have anything to prove.  Going from little/no physical activity to being a licensed bike racer is a bigger step than "just taking up another sport."  In a sense, I've already done the "big thing" so tomorrow's race shouldn't be all that big a deal.

But there will be a host of others for whom tomorrow's race will be their Big Deal - their personal triumph over whatever adversity had kept them from doing it before.

So I guess, in a sense, my reason for doing this remains the same.  Because I can.  And because I want to be around others who are discovering for the first time that they can.  That feeling is wonderful - and it's contagious.  And no matter what the weather turns out to be, nothing will quench that feeling.

Oh - and the hat.  I'm doing it for the hat too.  Yeah, it's a little bizarre how much I want that stupid green knit cap.

It's been a busy couple of weeks of training.  And, if for no other reason than just memorializing it here so that I don't forget when I'm old and gray (well, I'm already graying - ok, and I'm a little old too), here are a few random thoughts & pics since my last post...

3/4/14 - c25k week 5 #2

Another cold, early morning run.  This time it didn't get over 7 degrees.  Brrrr!

3/6 - c25k wk5#3

Longest run so far - 20 minutes straight.  As recently as this past January, I couldn't run for more than 3-5 minutes without my joints/ligaments screaming in pain.

Also, I finally got my butt back in the saddle & rode my bike on rollers while The Missus did her workout DVD.  I couldn't believe how sketchy I felt.  Just year before last I'd been able to ride the rollers no-handed.  Guess I'm a bit rusty.

3/8 - c25k wk6#1 & First Bike Ride of 2014

I did another 20 minute run in the morning and then took my bike out for a breath of fresh air.  Not only was I able to meet up with most of the usual Saturday Morning Ride gang, but EXPO teammates Jason & Steve joined us as well, insuring that I'd risk getting my road bike dirty instead of taking my MTB as I'd planned.  It was great to ride outside again (for the first time since December!)

3/10 c25k wk6#2

After the taste of Spring we got on Saturday and the look of Spring we got on Sunday, with the start of Daylight Savings Time, my Monday morning run was a bit of a shock.  Not only was I back to running in pitch blackness, but about 1/3 of the way into it, it started to snow.  The effect of my light shining ahead through the falling flakes really was like running through the stars.

3/11 Bib Arrives!

So I got my first running race bib.  This event probably could have merited a post all by itself, but probably not without wearing out a few cliches.  Still pretty cool though.

With the arrival of the bib, I discovered something else had started to arrive.... allergies - or a cold.  Whatever.  I was starting to feel SOMEthing coming on, and I didn't like it...

3/12 c25k wk6#3 - week 6 DONE

5/100ths short

For my "graduation" run - the last run I'd do before my first race - I decided to amp up my playlist by adding an additional song.  I'll probably get into a playlist discussion at some point, 'cuz I'm probably not the only one to find music so motivating (and sometimes the only thing, literally, that keeps me running).  In fact, not being able to use my earbuds during tomorrow's race is the thing I fear most - I suspect it's going to make the race much more of a mental challenge than just physical.

ANYway, my playlist is made up of my favorite, up-beat CCM tunes - all carefully calibrated to have just the right BPM for my pace.  But my musical taste is pretty eclectic and includes everything from CCM to Classical, Baroque to Bluegrass and Big Band.  And I do have some old Rock as well....

So, incongruously, I added Led Zeppelin's "Rock & Roll" to the end of my playlist.  I knew that my last run would be my longest, and I wanted to do well.  I also knew that I was at "diminished capacity" since whatever I was fighting, whether allergies or an actual cold, was still hanging on.

So at the bottom of my "warmup hill," I started my playlist and started running - intending to run until the music stopped.

Zeppelin was still playing when I got to the RR station parking lot (also where my coffee shop is), so I did a lap around the lot - much to the amusement of the local commuters.  I'm sure they couldn't miss me with my headlight bobbing up and down.

When the final drumbeat faded away, I stopped in front of the coffee shop and stopped my Garmin.  I'd run my longest run - 3.05 miles.  5/100ths short of being my first 5k.

Which suited me fine.  It would have been anticlimactic to run my first 5k all by myself.  At least tomorrow I'll be able to commemorate it with a few (hundred) others.  And there will be chili.  And a hat.

So now when I ask myself "why am I doing this?" my answer may just as well be - "why not?"

 

 

Cold Curiosity - Cold Comfort

Motivation can come from a variety of - sometimes surprising - sources.  Motivation for training - even in the depths of winter - comes from knowing I'll hurt so much more during races - or, worse, not even finish - if I don't train.  Even if I could accept the pain or the personal embarassment, I wouldn't want to let down my teammates.  So, pretty much without fail, I've gotten up early before work every winter for the past 8(!) seasons and got on the trainer.

Things are much different this year.  Where in past years we'd be able to count on a core of 5-6 EXPO guys for Bethel, this year it's pretty much just Aki and Joel.  "Real Life" has diverted a few, "Other Interests," a few others, and a couple more just want/need to take a break for a bit.  I'm in a couple of those categories myself - things have gotten especially nuts at work and I've discovered running.  I haven't been on the trainer but a few times in the past two months and the last time I was out on the road was December 6th. So I'm not exactly ready for Bethel.  Or all that motivated for it, honestly.

So where's the motivation for training, then?  Well, in one sense, it's the same as always - just in a different sport.  I have a program I'm following, and my first (running) race is March 15.  I don't have to worry about letting down teammates, but I'd like to at least finish the race and have a decent time. So I follow the program faithfully.

But this morning I discovered that curiosity can be just as motivating as having a race to train for.

The Polar Vortex came back yesterday afternoon and the forecast for this morning called for single digit temps with windchills below zero.  I've mentioned before that one of the reasons I'm enjoying running is that it lets me get outdoors in temperatures I'd never even consider on a bike.  This morning, I decided to see how low I could go.

As usual, I donned my Le Carbons, a baselayer, long-sleeved jersey, jacket, gloves and hat.  But this time, the baselayer had a hood attached, and I added a "Le Carbon" balaclava too.

Eight degrees at the start, down to 7 degrees at one point, with a little wind - and I was just fine. Surprisingly so.

So I concluded the 4th week of my Couch-to-5k program with a warm-up coffee at the "Farm" - the coldest part of the run being the walk home from the coffee shop.  I actually deviated from my program to run a bit of it just to warm up.

When I got home, I saw my bike on the trainer and wondered when I'd get back on the saddle.  It was at the shop for a couple of weeks and when I picked it up Tuesday and loaded it into the car, I got that old feeling of excitement for racing again.  I do miss riding.  But the forecast for my first race is deteriorating by the day and as much as I enjoyed running in the cold this morning, I am not at all jazzed about racing a bike in the cold (and possible snow) this Sunday.  Especially in a crit.  Most especially when I haven't turned a pedal in so long.

And, in what may turn out to be the final nail in the coffin of my early-season bike racing, I just discovered that I'll probably have to miss the first Ninigret race of the season.  Turns out I have a railroad rules class and exam that morning for my other job.  If I get out of that in time, maybe I can make the 40+ race at 1:55.  But I'm not too optimistic.

While motivation for spring bike racing is waning, at least I'm still motivated for my first 5k. And that's much more consolation than cold comfort.  There are many unknowns and I have no idea how I'll do, but that doesn't really matter.  I'm just curious to see how it will all turn out - and that provides quite a bit of motivation all by itself.

I Feel The Earth - Move - Under My Feet

(with apologies to Carole King)

Thanks to the treadmill, I've been able to plug along with my my training plan and am about ready to complete Week 3 - this all despite the bad weather we've been having.

But having the "earth move under my feet" does get boring after a while, despite one's best efforts.  So yesterday I decided to take advantage of the mild (in the 30s) temps and do my run outside for a change.  I got all suited up, shoes on, iPod playing and went outside - and just about fell on my butt.

The driveway was a solid sheet of black ice.  Well, I've been through this before, so I figured I'd just get out in the road (there's little to no traffic that time of day) where the pavement would be "treated."

So out into the street I went - and almost fell on my butt again.  The earth wasn't actually moving under my feet, but it sure did seem like it.

I figured I'd be safer back on the treadmill, so I went back inside and let the earth - in the form of a a two-foot wide band - move under my feet for another "3 miles."  At least it just moves in one direction - and there's two handles to grab if I happen to lose my footing.  And that's certainly much better than hitting the non-moving pavement and needing to figure out how to limp my way back home.

Breaking New Ground

Well, this morning I finally got past where I left off.  I'd just finished week 2 #1 of my 8 week 5k plan when the wheels fell off - sorry, bike metaphor - when the knees crapped out (not much better).  After a few weeks layoff, I started back at the beginning last week and this morning completed week 2 #2.  Icing my knees for a bit after running - and not running downhill - has solved whatever problem I had.  It also helps that I'm doing some of my workouts on the treadmill.  Not only is that a little easier on everything, but it keeps me on schedule despite our crazy weather lately.  So I'm back on my way.

Since things are going so well, I decided to go ahead and sign up for my first "race," so-called since I won't be done with my training in time and expect to be walking much of it rather than running.  But it looks like a fun event, it's local, and you get a cool hat.

It's been a very strange winter training-wise.  I haven't added them up, but I know my bike miles are only a fraction - and a small fraction at that - of the miles I usually rack up this time of year.  Since the bike's been idle anyway, I took advantage of a local deal for a full overhaul.  So my bike isn't even in my house right now - and I won't have it back for a week and a half.  That's truly unprecedented.  I couldn't get on the trainer even if I wanted to.  Weird.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.  The first Bethel crit is two weeks from this Sunday (?!) and the first Plainville race is the Saturday after that.  Without (m)any bike miles in my legs, I suspect I'll be doing well just to avoid getting dropped.  But once I get my first running race over with, I plan to add the bike back into the mix.  Thankfully, it's a long season and I can make up the time.  I'm just very curious to see whether this winter's experiment will help or hurt me in the long run.

On the Road Again

Yesterday, after almost 3 weeks, I decided to try running on the road again. It was a beautiful, but cold, morning and I'm still surprised at how much less you need to wear running than cycling when temps are in the teens.

I started up my new c25k app and did my usual loop, being careful to pause the app/timer so I could be sure to end my warmup *after* going up and over the hill by my house. As great as my treadmill setup is, running outside is SO much nicer.  And the new app I'm using allows me to play my own music and gives me audio cues when it's time to run vs. walk.

Not being able to get out until around 10 certainly had its pros and cons. On the up side, the sun was higher in the sky and made things feel warmer despite the actual temperatures.  And since it was open, I was able to swing into the local running store to take the chill off and look around at all the cool stuff.  But on the downside, there was a LOT more traffic and, with all the snow we've gotten, the sidewalks were either snowy, icy, or not shoveled at all, forcing me out into the road.  The combo of these two things meant that I waited almost 10 minutes to cross the Post Road & even then I couldn't avoid jaywalking since there were 4' piles of snow at either end of the crosswalk.  Big Fail.

But I eventually got to my coffee shop where I met an older couple that's very much into cycling and walking. They were probably in their 70s, but looked amazing and chatted with me like they were 50 yrs younger.  If I ever needed a reminder of a good reason to do all this crazy exercise stuff, they supplied it.

I had a nice cool-down walk home, despite the sketchy sidewalks.  And - amazingly - my knees were fine for most of the rest of the day.  My left one got a bit sore by the end of the day, but nothing like it had been.  A bit of icing last night and this morning and everything's back to normal again.

So I'm hoping we don't get any snow tonight so I can run outside again before the sun comes up.  It'll be much quieter & less crowded on the roads, but the coffee will still be freshly brewed.  I can't think of a better way to start off the week.