"Could have been the whiskey, might have been the gin..."

"...could have been the three or four six-packs, I don't know, but look at the shape I'm in!"
Was that an old Oak Ridge Boys song? Not being much of a drinker myself (I've had one beer in the last 2 weeks), it was probably the cherry cake, ice cream, zucchini bread and bacon burger with fries. What is the "it" I'm talking about? My weight! My concerned wife told me, in no uncertain terms, that I would start eating more. Last week, I posted how I overshot my goal race weight, losing more than I had planned. Well, I started eating. And eating. And eating. I realized how hungry I was, and how much my body was craving calories. No, I didn't just cram down junk (although there was some of that going on). I managed to bump my weight back up just a bit. Here are today's stats (and the changes from last week):

Wt: 147.8 lbs. (+1.4 lbs.)
Waist: 30.5" (-.3")
Bodyfat %: 10.6% (no change)
Resting HR: 43 bpm (+3 bpm)

No training today, with the exception of some core work and stretching. I'll be back on the bike tomorrow for some sort of ride, depending on how the legs feel. Have a great Thursday!

Tempo ride

Today's ride covered a total of 26 miles, but ten of it was at race pace. I used the first two miles to warm up, then pushed the next 10 (in 32:08; 18.7 mph avg), then rode at a steady pace the last 14 miles. Total time was 1:29:14 (17.5 mph avg). The tempo portion was tough. It was slightly uphill with a bit of a headwind (barefoot in the snow, too). I know, sounds like I'm embellishing, but dat's da troof. I preferred it to doing my hard 10 on the way back, which is usually the fastest part of this particular route. My quads were definitely burning the whole 10 miles...and they were still a little sore from the hill repeats on Monday. I'm not positive yet, but Friday's ride may be just a steady ride, with no hill repeats, tempo segments or intervals. We'll see.

I'm starving, so off to find some lunch...

Breakfast!

Usually every Saturday at the Hayes household, we have either pancakes, Belgian waffles, or French toast. The rest of the week is either cold cereal or oatmeal. This morning, I had a hankering for something more than a bowl of cereal. Thus, the above, very satisfying breakfast:

3 large eggs, mixed with:
1/8 cup nonfat milk
handful of chopped broccoli
handful of chopped red bell pepper
3 sliced mushrooms
1 slice of chopped tomato
handful of chopped steak from last night's dinner
ground pepper, to taste
handful of mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top

1 sliced, fresh home-grown apricot
1 english muffin with butter and strawberry jam
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup orange juice
drugs (multi vit, vit C, glucosamine, fish oil, flaxseed oil)

Yum! Good fuel after yesterday's bike ride. Speaking of which, my legs are pretty beat this morning (and I love it!), so I'll stick with some upper body strength training and core work today, then hit the bike again tomorrow. Have a great day!

Great ride today!

I decided to do my first hill interval ride this morning. The total mileage was 26.4, but a good 16 (or so...didn't measure) was hills. I rode a total of 12 hills in about an hour (total ride was 1:39). It was brutal, yet extremely satisfying...and much needed. It helped my confidence immensely, especially with the crazy bike leg in the Whiskey Dick Triathlon next month. I keep learning that we can do MUCH more than we think we're capable of, and how much of our self-imposed limits are in the mind. I'm much more of a runner than a cyclist, and I'm familiar with the pain and discomfort that comes with running...but even with all the cycling I've done this year, the pain from riding hard is still something I'm learning to deal with. Today's ride was a big step toward understanding how to handle it a little better.

Right now, I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off from riding and/or running and doing some strength training. Maybe riding M-W-F this week, but all three rides being intense. As you can see, I'm not currently using a pre-written training plan. I'm trying to gauge my recovery and listen to my body right now. When I begin my half-marathon training, I'll (for the most part) abide by a written plan.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

More of the same

This morning's bike ride was supposed to take place yesterday (Saturday) morning, but I spent FAR too long adjusting my front derailleur. I'm talking, oh, close to two hours! A bike tech I am not. Plus, I was feeling pretty beaten down from a few tough training days in a row, so moving that ride to this morning was probably for the best. It ended up being 25 miles of rolling hills on local roads, and was a bit slower than the last couple of rides. I ended the week with 110 miles of cycling and 4.5 miles of running. I haven't decided on what my training plan is for tomorrow. But one thing I DO know is that I will be eating more. Like I mentioned a few days ago, I overshot my goal racing weight by about 4 lbs. so far. My wife has told me that I WILL eat more. No, I'm not one of those rare men with an eating disorder. I just go into things like this full-bore, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead and, no surprise, I overdid it a little. I'm not going to use this as a license to eat more junk (although there will be some treats...and beer...consumed), but I'm afraid my low bodyweight and hard training are going to compromise my immune system if I don't make some adjustments.
Time for bed. Have a great week!

The Favorite , by Sir Colin T. Hayes, PhD, Esq.

The shiny 2002 Fuji Roubaix hung proudly from the red ceiling hooks in the garage. A mere ten feet away sat a pair of Brooks Defyance 2 running shoes, a sad tear of neglect streaming down its laces; a victim of seemingly endless taunts from the Fuji. "He doesn't love you anymore. Now I'M his favorite", gloated the Fuji. Brooks, now weary of deflecting the bitter jabs, could only sit weeping silently and longing for those productive days gone by. Suddenly, Fuji's braggadocious barbs were broken by the sudden sound of the squeaking door, revealing a tall, thin figure. He was immediately recognizable to both parties. Fuji instantly became as excited as a black lab pup eager for a morning walk. Brooks, meanwhile, felt a dim glimmer of hope, yet had already sadly deferred to Fuji, based on recent encounters. The man would undoubtedly favor Fuji yet again and share a sunny, breathless ride togeth...wait. Was it wishful thinking, or did Brooks feel the man's gentle hands? Yes. Yes, today...today is the day! The man and Brooks would experience the road together once again, just like old times! And outdoor adventure was indeed at hand! As they left the cool garage, they glanced over at Fuji and caught his indignant scowl. "I'll ride again soon, Brooks! I'm still his favorite! You'll be back on the floor and forgotten again in no time!" Brooks just smiled, as any happy running shoe would, and prepared for the endorphinized exhilaration soon to come.*

*Colin Hayes and Brooks shared a 4.5 mile run at 6:30 am that day, in a time of 37:49, for an easy pace of 8:24 per mile.

Today's bike ride, weigh-in stats, plus great video

I decided against riding the same route as the last two days. I needed a mental break from the traffic and hills, so I returned to my old favorite, the Centennial Trail (out and back from Snohomish, WA to Arlington, WA). I pushed the pace more than I had planned and ended up averaging 17.7 mph for the 35 mile ride, which is the fastest this year. My legs are toast from three straight, tough, riding days, so I'll rest them tomorrow and ride again Saturday morning.

This morning was my weekly weigh-in. Here are this week's stats (along w/the changes from last week):

wt: 146.4 (-2.2)
waist: 30.8" (-.2")
bodyfat %: 10.6 (-.1%)
resting HR: 40 bpm (-1 bpm)

Um...wow. My weight is still dropping. I'm still eating smaller portions and relatively cleanly. I'm obviously burning quite a few more calories than I'm taking in. The bike rides this month are probably going to burn even more than usual. I'm a bit below where I want to be (~150 lbs), so I need to address this. I'm now down 18 lbs since January of this year. As for the other stats, my waist is now as small as it was in high school (we're talking 25 yrs here). My resting HR is as low as it's been in many, many years...ALTHOUGH it was elevated when I woke up (50 bpm). That, coupled with the continued weight loss, could mean I might be overtraining. Looking at my current training levels, I wouldn't think so, but it's something I need to really pay attention to.

One of the podcasts I listen to is from Running Times (the magazine). They're usually short audio files; often interviews by Scott Douglas of pro runners or coaches. The latest is a video, showing Sara Vaughn doing a variety of core exercises. Check these out. They're great! I'll be incorporating several into my routine. Since "part 1" is in the title, I would imagine there will be more coming soon. I'll post more links when they're available.

EDIT: and, as a 42-yr old guy, I like this article!

More of the same

My workout today was identical to yesterday's: 25 mile bike ride on local roads with some hills. Time, which isn't that important at this point, was 1:29 and change. Just getting the miles in and getting my bike legs. Going to ride tomorrow, too. Haven't decided where yet. It might be the same as today and yesterday. I'll do some strength work later today. I've slacked off on my core work.
Have a good one!

I think I found my half...plus a little rant

I may have found my fall half marathon. It would be the Spokane Half Marathon and, coincidentally, the date is October 11th...working perfectly as my Worldwide Festival of Races race. I have family in Spokane, WA, so all around, this looks like a perfect fit for me. I can't wait to seriously train for and run it.

Now...I have something I need to get off my chest. This has nothing to do with running or training. It's a situation I've been in twice in the last 4 days. I'll start with this comment: if you work behind a counter somewhere, a simple "how are you doing today?" and a nice smile will go a long way in making a customer feel like he/she made the right decision by soliciting your place of employment. On Saturday, I was at a hotel in Omak, WA and felt like I was an unwanted intruder as the guy behind the counter mumbled and scowled his way through our encounter, making me and my family feel uncomfortable and intrusive. Tonight, I had to make a purchase at a big-chain auto parts store and the guy who took my money acted like I was a total pest. No, you may not be having a good day, and you may not be working at your "dream job", and yes, times are tough, but you are gainfully employed. Many, many people today aren't. Even if you have to fake it, make your customers feel welcome and wanted. They'll come back. They might recommend you to others. Then, when your work day is done, go home and go take out your frustrations on a good run. See, I did tie this to running after all! Okay, rant over.

Routine Ride

I'm finally back in town for awhile and ready to get serious about the cycling. I just returned from a 25 mile ride on local roads with some hills (same course as my ride on 7/11). Not going for time, but I was a bit faster this time (averaged 17.2 mph this time, as opposed to 16.8 last time). The meat of my training this month will be over this same course, as it has a nice assortment of quad-burning hills. I'm also planning on 2 or 3 time trials on my Centennial Trail course. I'm thinking 10 miles at race-pace on the way out, then easy for the 10 miles back. I may also do some mile intervals. I probably won't do any really long rides, since I have a decent base already built. As for my now-neglected friend running, I'm hoping to visit him about once a week the rest of this month. Probably easy 5-mile runs. But as I've said, the focus will be on building my speed and strength on the bike, so I don't embarrass myself on August 9th!