Mid-Week Update, New Purchase, Big Wins for "Any Given Night"

The Week So Far

In all honesty, I was surprised at the level of interest my new blog generated.  Thanks for caring as much as you do!  I mean that sincerely - I really thought I might be writing to myself and three other people.  If you're interested in receiving a notice when I post a new entry, go to the top of this blog and click on "follow."  Having a bigger audience is much more motivating!

A few of you asked me after my initial blog about what I do specifically for training each week.  Coach Jason has set up a basic 4-week rotation for me.  It's pretty simple:  hard bike, hard run, hard both, recovery.  Hard bike doesn't mean all hard miles/minutes, just heavier (around 100 miles) with some high intensity/moderate intensity rides.  Hard run is similar - 35-40 miles of running with some tough, fast intervals and less easy stuff.  On a "heavy" week, the other activity is lessened.  For example, heavy bike means only 20 miles running.  Heavy run means only 60 miles biking.  Heavy both is the toughest week, followed by a week of recovery.  Unfortunately, recovery doesn't mean you get the week off, it only means a few less miles and relatively no hard stuff.

So...this week is my recovery.  I thought at the beginning of the week I'd be able to skate through and feel great.  However, I'm learning quickly that the 3 previous "heavy" weeks really do grind on your body and you start to feel all the little "ouch" areas on the recovery week.  So basically you spend the recovery week licking your wounds so to speak and getting ready for the next 3 weeks of hard stuff.

I'm about half way through my running/cycling miles for the week and have gotten the moderate cycling work out of the way.  I have easy bike miles left, one moderate run and some light strength training.  Kathy and I will be heading into the gym on Saturday morning for a 90 minute spin ride (she might do a 45 minute class - we'll see) and I should hopefully have Sunday to rest completely!

I know some of you out there are pretty routine strength training people.  I'm not sure how to feel motivated to do weights as some of you are.  I do two strength training sessions per week and it's the low point in my time at the gym.  While I can physically feel and see the results before my eyes, that's about all that keeps me doing it.  What's the secret?  I'm probably not going to look like (nor do I want to) those guys who grease themselves up and walk around flexing their muscles in small tank tops.  :)

Big Wins For "Any Given Night"

Okay, enough about training.  Now you see why my wife believes I'm obsessed.  Some of you know, other don't, that I play volleyball year around.  Dan & Susan Crowell invited me to play on their co-ed team a couple years ago.  The team name is "Any Given Night."  I never knew the reason for this name until Susan explained it one night.  Apparently, the team's view is that they can win...or lose to any team on "any given night," meaning we can be really great and really awful depending.  Last night we did a little of both, but more the former, sweeping our opponents.  We came back from a 7 point deficit in the third game to seal the sweep.  It was an exciting one!

I'd like to publicly thank Ms. Julie Majerus for her help in finding this team.  I played on Julie's team for a few years before deciding to find a new team at a higher competitive level.  Julie could have just said "good riddence" and life would have gone on.  Julie truly took the high road and introduced me to Dan & Susan.  So, thank you, Julie!

Fun, New Purchase

Back to training just for a second.  I've been finding through my training that it's often times hard to motivate myself to get into the gym, particularly on weekends when it's cold and I just want to stay home.  I've been asking/begging/harping on Kathy for over a year now for us to purchase an indoor bike trainer.  For those not familiar, a trainer is a stationary object you place your road bike on, which allows you to cycle on your bike indoors.  You can park it in front of a Sunday football game and ride out the game.

I'd been hinting to Coach Jason about borrowing his trainer.  I don't think he really uses it, but likes the idea of having it just in case he wants to slap the road bike on it some day.  Anyway, he must have been viewing Craig's List and found me a used trainer for $65.  I went and looked it last night and bought it on the spot.  The guy said it has less than 5 hours of use (and I believe him).  So...now I truly have no excuses for not getting my bike miles in every week.

Incidently, this is the second time Coach Jason has located a cycling item I've ended up purchasing.  He also found my road bike on Ebay about a year ago that I subsequently bought and love.  I think he might be my good luck charm.

Okay, that's good enough for today.  Stay tuned to learn of my upcoming trip to California and a possible bike rental/cycling adventure!