Week in Review

I've fallen into the pattern of updating my previous week's activities, so I might as well continue that trend.

Here are my cycling numbers:

Rides: 3   (YTD: 47)
Miles: 149.1   (YTD: 1729)
Time: 9:16:30   (YTD: 99.9 hrs)
Elevation: 4692'   (29,106')

Runs: 1  (YTD: 20)
Miles: 2.6   (YTD: 73.9)
Time: 24:37   (YTD: 10.9 hrs)

I also walked 20 miles last week (YTD: 385.4 mi)

I had a very challenging ride last Thursday. The distance (54.9 mi.) wasn't what made it tough, it was the climbing and the wind. There were two significant climbs on this ride, the latter being the toughest climb I've ever done. I rode up Quinimose Rd, then took the turn onto Broken Lance Dr. Both of those roads are steep, mostly out-of-the-saddle climbs. I've also been riding from my house when I ride solo, which means I always finish with a decent climb, since we live on a hill. My goal for August is to climb 20,000'. I honestly don't think I'll achieve that number, but I will climb more than last month, without a doubt. I'm trying to get the climbs in before the Coeur d'Fondo 108 mile ride next month, since that's a very hilly course.

One other quick note, regarding climbing, is that I finally climbed up to the Arbor Crest Winery. It's not long (.8 mi), but it's very steep. It felt good to finally get that climb under my belt.

Speaking of hills, I need to get ready for another hilly ride this morning, so with that, I'll post a few pics from last week's rides:

Turkey family, Riverview Drive

From the top of Broken Lance Dr.

Off of Henry Road, Saltese Flats area.

Arbor Crest!

On the way down from Arbor Crest.

View from road up to Arbor Crest.

PRs in July!

Another month has flown by. Somebody slow this train down! It'll be winter before we know it. Ugh...

Anyhoo, July was a good month for my bike and me. I managed to set PRs in:

Monthly mileage: 591
Total rides: 12
Miles per ride: 49.3
Longest ride: 83.7 mi.
Elevation gain: 11,927'
Most miles/week: 169

The only thing that slacked off a bit was my average pace. I attribute that to more climbing and longer rides.

I only lost 2 lbs. in July, but I was fairly close to my goal weight when the month started. I could probably stand to lose another 5 lbs, but no more than that. I don't have the need or desire to be at my marathon weight. I was too light (and weak) back then (2010).

Yesterday, my long ride (83.7 miles) was cut short due to heat exhaustion. I was only a few miles from home, but had a pretty good climb ahead of me to finish. I was toast, so I called my wife to come rescue me. It was still a PR by 21 miles (and in 95+ degree heat), so I'm not disappointed.

August looks to be another great month on the bike, with more PRs on the way. It's been very hot lately, so I'm looking forward to some cooler days.

Keep moving forward, my friends!

Mileage PR

I just wrapped up another week of cycling, which ended in a weekly mileage PR of 169 miles:

MON: 32.2 mi, 1:48:20, 313' vertical
TUE: 57.4 mi, 3:34:35, 1371' vertical
THU: 40.4 mi, 2:14:03, 482' vertical
FRI: 39.0 mi, 2:19:24, 902' vertical

TOT: 169.0 mi, 9hr 56 min 21 sec (17.0 mph avg), 3068' vertical

Tuesday's ride (with Tom) included loops around both Newman Lake and Hauser Lake. Newman is a challenge due to some pretty good climbs, but this week it was even more of a challenge because of the road work I wasn't aware of before the ride. They had laid down chip seal for about 1.5 miles on the northern side of the lake. That slowed us to a crawl. For some reason, the rocks kept sticking to my tires and getting stuck under my brake levers just above my tires. Other than that (and a stiff headwind on the way back), it was a great ride. Monday and Thursday were pretty standard Centennial Trail rides, but on Friday I decided to ride from my house, which meant I'd have a nice climb at the end of the ride. It's only the second time I've ridden that climb, and I was much more prepared this time (I'm 8 lbs. lighter and in much better shape). Not to say that it was easy. It's still a pretty grueling climb for me. It'll be a nice gauge of my strength and fitness in the future.

Speaking of which, I've really felt a boost in fitness the last couple of weeks. Summer is half over, so it's nice to finally "feel" like a cyclist. By the time the Coeur d'Fondo comes around (I'll be doing the 108 mile Gran Fondo, around lake Coeur d'Alene, on Sept. 26th), I should be ready. There's a lot of climbing on that ride, so I'll have to step up my game in that department leading up to that ride. Next year at this time, I fully plan on being a monster on the bike. Mark my words, I will never allow myself to get out of cardio shape again, like I did in 2014. If it's too nasty to ride outside during the winter months, I'll be burning up my trainer and catching up on some Netflix garbage (maybe I'll save season 5 of the Walking Dead for such occasions ;-)

Yes, this is still being written by The Resurrected Runner, but I think I'm slowly morphing into a cyclist. If and when the day comes when I can run again, it'll be as part of a program that contains plenty of two wheel workouts. I might even throw in some swimming again if the mood strikes!

So, if injuries are keeping you from one activity, find another one that keeps you fit and healthy. No excuses!

Another Solid Week

I didn't set any distance, total mileage or time records on the bike this week, but I managed to log three solid rides (40.1 mi, 32.3 mi, 32.1 mi = 104.5 miles total). My legs felt a little flat on Monday and Wednesday, but I eased off the pace on Friday and noticed a little more life in them. We're in the middle of a heat wave (102°f here today, 106°f tomorrow, followed by another week, at least, of close to triple digits), so doing extra long or extra fast rides will be out of the question. In fact, due to my schedule, I'll probably only ride on Monday and Wednesday.

I'm at 390 miles for June and 988 miles for the year, so I should hit 1,000 miles on Monday.

153 Miles

I wrapped up a solid week of cycling yesterday, giving me 153 miles for the week. That's a distance PR, which I expect to break again before too long. I had to contend with heat and wind early in the week, but the last two rides (Thurs & Fri) were far more windy than they were hot.

I'm still not doing much climbing, but I think I'm about ready to branch out (i.e. not just ride back and forth on the Centennial Trail by the Spokane River) and find some new areas with a bit of climbing involved. Nothing too crazy, though. Not yet, anyway.

The legs feel just a bit tired, but they're not too drained, although I know if I tried to ride this weekend, I'd be feeling it. But my fitness is improving!

I'll ride with Tom again on Monday, which will probably be a long ride (50+ miles). I think we're going to head into Coeur d'Alene and explore a little. With my mom flying in from Florida on Tuesday, I probably won't have much riding time the rest of the week.

THIS WEEK

M: 32 mi.
T: 52.2 mi.
W: off
TH: 32.1 mi.
F: 37.1 mi.
S: off
S: off

TOTAL: 153.4 mi.