Numbers

What a great weekend for training. The weather was wonderful this weekend. Sunny, breezy and in the mid 70's. Everyone was outdoors enjoying the sun and having some good times.
Normally the weekends are tough to train because of the better half teaching on Saturdays. Rules out Saturday for training unless I can find a free babysitter, which normally doesn't happen. That means my long ride and run have both been happening on Sundays. It's tough riding 50 miles during the day and then running 8-10 at night. My mom called on Friday and offered to keep the kids. We settled on Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.

Big Poppa, co-worker and training partner, has been taking part in a little get in shape challenge put on by one of the local running stores. Part of the challenge was on Saturday to run 6 miles in the morning and 6 in the afternoon. He emailed to see if the rest of us wanted to meet him for the afternoon run to give him moral support/ make sure his butt finished! Since I had secured someone to watch the kids, I was in. CCC 10k schedule had us running 10 miles @ 9:36 pace. So some of the rest of the training crew, The Hornet and her roommate, met me 30 minutes earlier to get in 4 miles before the 6 with BP. Couldn't have been a better day to run the loop around the LSU lakes. The three of us pounded out the first 4 in around 35 minutes. The roommate was done and we met up with BP for the last 6. We all ran together except for the last 2. Ended up at 10.1 @ 9:16 pace. BP finished and that all that counts, great job!

That is the one thing that I am very meticulous about in my training, knowing the numbers. I would rather skip training than train and not know how far, how fast, and at what heart rate. My training log is a spreadsheet with planned and executed workouts. Every time I train I have to record the numbers or it's like it doesn't even count. I never leave home without a training watch, I have 2 now just to make sure.

After the run, hurried home to get dressed to go to church and out with my wife since we had a night of freedom. After church we went and had some cheescake and coffee and then saw the movie 27 Dresses. Good chick flick. Got to bed late after loading up for a ride in St. Francisville.

Got to Big Poppa's house around 7:15 am Sunday morning and transferred the bike and gear. After making the drive to the ride spot, put in 45 miles (17 mph) in the hills on the bike with BP's better half and the Hornet. It was good to get back to the hills and ride with a group, albeit a small one. Most of my recent longer rides have been loners since I am normally pressed for time and ride on such short notice. Another great day for training. Of course any ride day where you don't get chased by a dog is a good day. Is it just here that every dog out in the countryside is unchained and like to eat bikes or is that everywhere?? Tried to run after, but got a major pain in my side after about half a mile. Don't know what it was, but I was doubled over in pain, thought I was going to pass out. May have been lack of fluids.

It is so hard on such nice days to make sure you are drinking enough. You feel good the whole time, forget to drink enough and then pay for it later. Do they make training watches with an alarm that I can set every 15 minutes to remind me to drink? There are way too many things to think about that can go wrong. As long as I finish though and I can record some numbers, than mission accomplished. Who cares if I passed out doing it??