Monday morning training

Because the weat her cooperated, I did a big mileage push last week , logging almost 150 miles, two heavy sessions with the personal trainer and two two hour cardio sessions on my own. As a result, I was feeling a bit tired. I spent the weekend in R&R.

It is six weeks until the long cross country ride starts, and my training plan is to alternate a high distance biking week with an intense week of cardio and resistance training. I want to go into the ride tough and fit, not exhausted so this seems to be a sensible approach. Since I know that I will burn off weight on the ride, I also plan to ease up on the diet so that I am only at a 400 calorie a day deficit instead of a 700 calorie. This depends on my activity level as well as food intake.

All that being said, I went out this morning to do an easy 30 mile leg stretcher. At least that was the plan. It was only as I turned onto the main highway leading west out of the suburbs that I realized the wind was actually blowing quite steadily at 20 mph and was going to be a headwind for the first half of the ride. Surprise, a resistance training opportunity! I cranked into a medium gear that would allow me to maintain enough momentum for stability and progress and pushed on. Apparently the amount of resistance training and riding against headwinds in high gear is beginning to pay off as in spite of my less than stellar speed, I was still able to pass several other riders on the bike path through George Bush Park.

At the turn around point my average speed was 12.8. That's a lot lower than it has been in a long time. Of course, I had planned my route to take full advantage of the tailwinds on the way home so the overall average for the ride was 14.6, still not spectacular but better than I had expected. I must say the ride home was sweet as I was hitting speeds of 25 mph without really trying and it felt like flying free.

Maybe someday when I grow up, I will be able to maintain something in the 20 mph plus range without being on a downhill or having a good 20 mph tail wind.

I can dream.