Time to really get on track like everyone else ...

Since I got home at 12:30, spinning at 6:15 just did not happen. And I don't feel all that bad about it.

And since we did not run in California, I was really wanting to run. So after work, I ran my ~30 minute course up the Trolley Trail to Volker and back. Actually it's usually less than 30, but I rarely even wear my watch on that run. However, today it was at least 30 minutes. It was mid-80's and steamy! And the sun was out. Not quite acclimated to that yet, to say the least.

Then I rushed off to yoga. Monday night yoga is a really good post-run activity. It's slow paced enough for after running yet always has some good stretches for the legs and hips. Tonight was especially good, like she'd planned it for apres-run. We did alot on the floor, which is good because it doesn't stress my knee like alot of standing postures can do.

So now that little sis has discovered the joy of swimming, I fear she is going to kick my ass. I have to get serious about two-a-days I think. At least now, there will be good bike weather, so that is an evening opportunity.

Oh I got my numbers back from last week's doctor appointment. Now I am often a little obsessed with my scores and numbers of any kind: SAT scores, GRE scores, jeans sizes, cholesterol levels, IQ tests, etc. I was a little disappointed with these. I think they reflect the less than optimal diet that I have had for the last year to 18 months, which is slowly improving but that won't show up in the blood for awhile. Or maybe this is just life after 40 ...

Total cholesterol: 182 (should be < 200)
HDL (good cholesterol): 72 (should be > 45)
LDL (bad cholesterol): 95 (should be < 100)
Triglycerides: 72 (should be < 150)
Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 2.53:1 ( Optimal is 5:1 or less - I think the office screwed this up on the report, so it makes me wonder about the rest of these ...)

Now ... why would I be disappointed? Well my cholesterol was 170 last year and 160 the year before. Of course, 10 years ago it was slightly over 200. So I think diet has alot to do with it. Because mine has not been nearly as good in the last year as it was the previous year. We have some genetic predisposition to high cholesterol in my family and it is only one risk factor and mine isn't even high, so it's not worth working up the blood pressure. Which also was not quite where it had been previously.

I am happy with the good cholesterol level. Supposedly aerobic exercise really helps that and that appears to be true for me.

Apparently my beer drinking has not affected my triglycerides negatively. Or my allegedly "high carbohydrate" diet. They did not test for glucose (blood sugar) or it was not on this report. Last year it was fine and I'm really not predisposed to diabetes so that's not a big concern for me right now.

And if you don't believe me about the optimal numbers ... http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=183

Vacation

The perfect 48 hours in the inland empire. Ann has summarized it much better. It was an incredibly expensive 48 hours, now that I total things up. And I had a pleasant four hour layover (two unplanned) in the United concourse at DIA on a Sunday. However, the trip was alot of fun. I am more than a little envious of the professorial life in California but I was not cut out for intellectualizing for profit and teaching.

We swam laps for 30 - 35 minutes at one of the outdoor pools on campus. It was humbling. I probably haven't swum a lap in 20 years and I think I still feel it today. I needed better goggles, for one thing. Mine never sealed right and I had water in them all the time. But let's not blame it on equipment: I flat out suck at swimming.

I was never much of a swimmer. The last time, and probably only time, I did any serious swimming was to get in shape to do a short course triathlon that included a 500 m pool swim. I swam just enough to make sure I got done in the maximum alloted time.

I am harboring fantasies of doing a triathlon this year, but I'm not sure I will be able to swim well enough to do 500 meters in open water. You know, where you can't hang on the edge and suck wind for a minute after a lap or two.

However, my neighbor informed me that swimming skills would improve rapidly. We'll see. Maybe. It's really not the right time of year to find another indoor activity.

Last Thursday

Lift
Elliptical - 35 minutes

I was all out of sorts before I worked out, but once again endorphins did their trick.

04252007

Spinning this morning. It just wasn't right from the beginning - my contact bothered me ( I ended up putting new ones in afterwards), the saddle felt like it was pointed UP and rubbed me all the wrong way and I screwed up the cage tightener thingy when I had to get out to get my water bottle that I dropped. So I had to mess around with that for a few minutes during the middle of class.

Other observations on life: I tried the new 'Diet Coke Plus' yesterday. Tasted about the same as regular Diet Coke. Maybe a little more Tabbish or Coke Zeroish. I find it curious that Americans are so fat yet apparently so undernoursihed in vitamins and minerals that you can sell water or diet pop with nutrients in it. It's not alot of stuff: zinc, magnesium and some B-vitamins.

Run ...

Great run today! I was afraid I was going to be relegated to the treadmill due to the storms but after 5 - 10 minutes of pouring, it stopped. It's now started again, with rumbling thunder and all. But there was about an hour break. I'll run in the rain and I've been stuck miles out in some really heavy rain but it was coming down too hard to really start out for awhile.

Anyway, 38 minutes, Trolley Trail to Gregory. Felt good. Knees good. Of course I have no idea how fast or far I run ... Did my hill acceleration up 58th st. The TT is flat but I've got to go down a short steep hill to get there and then back up. So at the end of most TT runs, I like to try and accelerate all the way up the hill. For fun! Well maybe not on runs over an hour or when it's really hot.

Which reminds me ... the danger of heat and humidity .... It wasn't that warm when I went out, ~70 degrees, but it was thick, RH ~70%. No sun, though. I felt fine the whole way but that's getting up to the point where you need to be aware of the heat, because heat and humidity can be really dangerous. No matter how fit you are. The humidity has never bothered me much and with the cloud cover I was comfortable, dripping sweat but comfortable. Hopefully I can build up some heat acclimatization in the next few weeks before summer really sets in. And I avoid running when the sun is high in the sky once it really starts to heat up. The humidity, of course, adds to the danger, as your sweat cannot evaporate and cool you.

I guess the rain is good for the grass. But I'm hoping to be able to ride singletrack next week sometime .....

04232007

As I lay in bed this morning after the alarm went off (0540), thinking about how much do I really want to spin, I realized that all this blogging has made me very conscious of the fact that I exercise almost every day. And that there was no day off until Friday. No wonder I start to go crazy after a couple days without it. And I did get up and spin.

Then work and a quick mowing afterwards, in case all the rain really happens.

Then yoga. A very restorative class, which sometimes makes me crazy because it's so slow, but this felt good. I was feeling a little beat up from the weekend.

Then a 7 point Canadian bacon, cheese and EGG sandwich on a whole wheat muffin. I went meatless all weekend, really without even planning to. But I got curious about my protein intake, so I added it up for the day. I had at least 85 g, possibly 5 or so more, depending on how many servings of the pasta I really had.

What put me way up was my leftover pasta, with spinach, black bean and tomato. Amazing how much protein that packed. And that it lurks in english muffins, 9 g in the super big Wolferman's original. Guess I never really looked before ...

Smoothies

I finally put my blender that I got last weekend to use making a smoothie from my new book. It is hearty. I'm not sure how I feel about the oats in there. It does make a good post-workout or breakfast drink (often one and the same ....)

This is the kind of day that I wish I could go for a run, but I figured I should stick to low-impact. My quads were feeling the Friday run and the two hours on the bike. It was too windy to really enjoy road biking and I considered hauling the mountain bike out to BRP, because wind doesn't matter much once you're in the woods on the trail. But I went to the boring gym.

Lift: Usual routine, with the addition of the tricep dip machine. I think I need another back/core/tricep exercise. Why didn't I just do regular dips, either on the bars or the gravitron? Good question. I think I can actually do a few real dips. The problem is getting to the equipment in the testo-zone, unless I want to do the gravitron, which I've never really warmed up to. I guess I could add some gravitron dips/pullups to my post-machine routine at the gym.

I am trying to get two weightlifting sessions in a week. Three would be better but I am burdened with a full-time job that really cuts into my workout time. Yoga is some strength work, though not alot in the Monday session. The power yoga class would cover strength and flexibility. I know I am always totally spent after Ashtanga and I think the power class does alot of the Ashtanga series. Maybe I can get 20-30 mins on the ball, to focus on the core.

Elliptical: 35 minutes, Hill program, Level 8. I am maxed at 35 on a machine. It's too damn boring to do any longer than that.

singletrack ....

Rode two hours today at Landahl. Covered a fair amount of ground, though none of the black trails. Next time I take my bike in for service, I'm going to get a computer on there so I at least know how far I rode.

Ended up on some rocky stuff a few times, which was not fun. Like really rocky, like a rock garden. So there was some bike pushing. And it was warm! 80-ish degrees.

According to various websites, I burned 400-500 calories/hour. Though there is so much variance in mountain biking, I don't know how you could ever calculate that without some kind of gadgetry or something.

Landahl is a haul from here, but it was worth it. Next time I want to drive that far, though, I may hit Smithville again. My closest haunt is BRP, but it was supposedly pretty muddy still.

"She liked to eat ..."

I have been reading, sort of, Chris Carmichael's 'Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right.' Carmichael was one of Lance Armstrong's coaches, so you figure he knows about coaching an endurance athlete. Which I like to pretend that I am.

Anyway, all this training and food talk made me want to improve my diet. Not necessarily lose weight, though I'd like to lose some fat. Once I know how much fat I have. Haven't gotten around to that testing yet.

He actually breaks down the year into training cycles, even for schmoes like me instead of Lance Armstrong. I haven't gotten quite that far into it yet but depending on your goals for a several month period, your nutrition requirements change. (duh) Depending on the time of year, his recommendations are: 60 - 70% carb, 13 - 18% protein, 16 - 22 % fat. These are for a 120 lb athlete, which I'm a little more than. And maybe questionable on the athlete part.

So I wanted to break down my breakfast. Now this is a big meal, even for me. But it will hold me for awhile because I probably won't have a lunch exactly. I'll have plenty of snacks along the way. But this needs to carry me through chores and mountain biking through to dinner later. And I haven't had the banana yet. That will be a snack here in awhile. Because I'm pretty full right now.

This is a little light on the carbs probably but I will make that up during the rest of the day. Though not bad ratios.

Breakfast Nutritional Analysis -
3 scrambled eggs, in Pam, with a tiny bit of milk - 210 cals, 13.5 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 18 g protein, 3 g carb

Diced potatoes, in Pam spray - 160 cals, 0 fat, 4g protein, 36 g carbs,

Yoplait light smoothie - 90 cals, 0 fat, 6 g protein, 18 g carbs

Banana - 100 cals, 0 fat, 1 g protein, 27 g carbs

Total - 560 cals, 13.5 g fat (4.5 sat fat), 29 g protein, 84 g carbs - 10 g fiber
so .... 20% fat, 20% protein, 60% carb

Half minus six

This will hopefully be short as I'm hoping to get in the shower and get out of here shortly but I fear work is going to ruin my Friday night. Boo.

Today: Run, 39 mins plus, Loose Park route. My satellite tells me it's between 4 and 5. Well 4 and 4.5 probably. Hopefully the upper end of that.

Loose Park is a classic KC run. Some hills up 57th, up along wornall from 51st to 55th, etc. It used to be you had to do the sidewalk at Loose Park which was kind of a pain over by the pond or the dirt trail around the perimeter. Sometime in the last couple years, they put down a rubbery path along the perimeter. This is really nice since it's softer than the pavement yet more consistent than the dirt.

It was warm, near 80, but the sun was low enough to not be a factor. Sun overhead bothers me alot more than heat or humidity. I have run on some hot, sticky KC summer days, but usually after 7 when the sun is lower.

Supper Club

Had to work out this morning because I have supper club after work. Oink.

Elliptical - 35 mins on the 'cardio' program, which aims to keep your HR at 80% which, according to the machine, is 143 for me.

I've done this program alot. I have found that in the morning, it seems to take longer to get my HR in the zone. This morning it was nearly 7 minutes. Expended 360-ish calories supposedly, all of which I'm sure I replaced quickly with my banana, 'Light and Fit' smoothie and muffin with peanut butter breakfast.

Two-a-days

Spin - 45 mins plus abs and stretching. I wore my HRM for the first time in there. Maxed at 165 or so. I don't have fancy graph or chart ability, so this is from memory from over 12 hours ago. My Polar has my 85% at 152. I can say that once I am up over 160, I'm definitely getting into the anaerobic zone.

Work

Lift - 40 mins or whatever it takes me. The usual. Rode my bike to the gym because it was so nice outside and to knock some of the dried crud from Saturday off it.

Monday

Morning: Spin class
Evening: Yoga

The standard Monday routine.
I need to find a good Wednesday or Thursday yoga option.
There is a new power yoga place I might try ( http://www.progressivepoweryoga.com ).

Sunday, 5 pm, lawn is mowed, beer is cracked

I did not get that much of a workout yesterday at my half-race, but it was something. Mountain biking is a very different workout than on the road or bikepath. It is alot more upper body work and you use your legs in different ways, unlike the road which is pretty constant except for climbing.

I got an early morning phone call to go riding at Longview Lake, on the paved trails there. I'll take any opportunity to exercise outside rather than the gym so I went. Pretty relaxed ride, 14 miles, slow pace (avg 12 mph, max 18 mph), mostly flat.

As we drove up, a couple girls on their bikes came up to the car asking if that was the end of the trail. My friend who had ridden there previously said it was but said there was a section they might have missed and if they wanted to ride with us, they could. They decided to go on but first they went over to some jungle-gym equipment by the parking lot. This one girl did 3-4 pullups! I was impressed.

When our other riding partner arrived, I said 'This chick did pullups.' She told me that I could do that and I said I was going to try but I was waiting for them to leave so I didn't look too stupid. So we went over and tried and, lo and behold, I could do a couple. Not very well and I really struggled to pull up all the way from completely straight arms, but still more than I thought I could do. Motivation to get my strength training done, for sure.

Sunday a.m. resting HR

OK all this talk about fitness tests had me curious about my true resting heart rate (first thing in the a.m.), so this morning I tested.

I didn't have the HRM in the room so I did have to get up to get it and strap it on, but after I lay back down, it dropped quickly to 54 - 55. I can live with that.

Much better than the not-truly-resting results of last weekend, where both my pulse and blood pressure were surprisingly high. Must have been the family stress...

DNF

First the good news, I did not get a flat tire on the way home. And my running time was good, though I am quite sure that 2 miles was not 2 miles.

So after deciding that I would not like myself if I did not even go to the race, I headed out. The rain had mostly stopped and it was not nearly as cold as predicted, but still chilly and damp at 36 degrees or so.

Made it to Smithville in plenty of time. Small field, what a surprise. At the pre-race meeting, they said we would be surprised by how fast the trail really was, even with the rain. Supposedly it did not rain up there until last night so I was hoping for the best.

The run was sloppy in places so I packed on the mud pretty quickly, but there was enough on the pavement to knock it off.

So I head out on the bike. I don't have a bike computer on my mountain bike so I don't know how far I got before the bike got really crudded up with mud. Some of the first parts were actually very wet, which was better in terms of not messing up the bike but more treacherous to ride. I skidded once and fell. And I had to dismount alot more than usual. So about halfway, at best, the trail got less wet but still very soft. The dirt and grass and leaves were just piling up around the brakes, on the chain, anywhere. I stopped several times in an effort to unclog it. Everyone around me was having the same problem. A nice guy showed me a trick by planting your hand (gloved preferably) behind the break and rolling the bike to skim off the mud, but it wasn't very successful.

The real wheel just stopped moving several times it was so clogged up. Every time I got it cleaned up enough to move, it just picked up more mud. So I quit.

One good thing about Smithville is that there are roads and paved trails running throughout the park. I carried the bike down to the road, knocked off more mud and headed to the end on the roads. It was rideable at that point, as I wasn't accumulating more mud. But I felt like a big loser for quitting.

Maybe if I felt like I was a little closer to the end, I would have stuck it out. It was just unbelievably frustrating to make no progress. I don't mind going slow in the mud, I don't even mind dismounting and walking through something tough. But to keep cleaning it off and having it build up again before you are even back on the bike was just too much.

I'm sure I won't be the only DNF but still. I don't know how many runs or rides I've done in my life but this was the second time that I did not finish. The first was a Run for the Zoo in Denver many many years ago. That time I really was a baby. I had my heart set on a sub-45 10K, which I thought was attainable because I'd run just under 46 a couple months previous. At some point, I dropped out when it became apparent that it was not going to happen that day.

This was a case of equipment failure, of sorts. If my bike had disc brakes, it would have helped alot, but not completely. Even the disc brake bikes were clogging up. Maybe a more skilled rider would have made it through with less mud accumulation, I don't know. I seriously thought about carrying it but the slop made walking difficult and the bike, which is already pretty heavy, was even heavier with all the mud. Plus with 4 - 5 miles to go ... not really an option. And it didn't seem that the terrain was going to improve. Sigh. I don't like to quit what I have started.

Once I got home, I got to spend about 20 minutes hosing the mud off the bike. Or most of it anyway.

So now what do I do with the shirt? I don't think one should wear the race shirt unless you actually completed the event. Unless you had to drop out due to injury. It's a nice shirt, dark blue. The logo is sorta out there though.

My hearty congratulations to anyone who finished this race. Especially if you were one of the folks back there with me slopping around and cleaning off your bike every 10 feet.

Blah

I really wanted to get my workout done in the morning because it is sooooo nice to just come home and not rush off to the gym after work. And the gym is ickier in the late afternoon. So I made myself get up this morning.

It was one of those workouts that you just do because that's what you do. Though I split it up and I don't usually do that.

15 minutes - Cybex ArcTrainer - interval program, level 4. I used to do this elliptical alot. It is more vertical than the LifeFitness one. But sometimes it bugs my knee, so I decided that if I was going to run more, I would have to lay off this one. But the four working Life ellipticals were taken, dammit. I just felt like sludge on this today, so I decided that I would run on the treadmill for 20 minutes since I had my new shoes and wanted to see how they felt running.

20 minutes - Treadmill - fastest at 6.7, put on .5 % incline for awhile. While I was running I felt OK, especially given that it was early in the morning and I was next to a chick with choking b.o. God, I've never experienced that before. Usually it's big sweaty guys.

Then I was really running late and cranky.

I dorked around on the ball after work for awhile, trying some ab and back exercises. I need to start with the basics apparently.

Then a calzone from Tarantino's, 601 McGee, KCMO ( http://media.pitch.com/739762.0.pdf ). I will plug this place. It has the BEST calzones. I don't care if they are more than 12 points. They are really friendly and even remembered us from the last time we came in, two or three weeks ago. Sadly they were without their liquor license tonight but that is temporary. And it's cheap, especailly without the two beers I would have had ...

Tomorrow - an off day to rest up for Saturday's mudfest in the snow ...

Blue Bus

Spinning this morning. The usual, 45 mins spin and then a shortened abs and stretch time. It was hard. And my upper body was feeling the weights from last night.

On an unrelated note, I hate the economy parking shuttle at KCI. It is often jam packed full of idiots, all pissy because they are home from Hawaii or Mexico and it's 20 degrees. God forbid anyone move to the back of the bus so someone else can get on. And love the big dude with the skis. Don't worry about whacking anyone in the head with your Atomics there, pal.

Monday night, as I'm putting myself back together after going through security in Denver, this jackass is arguing with the screeners about his 9 oz can of Frito Lay cheese dip. Apparently it's a liquid. I wasn't sure it even qualified as food, but whatever. This went on for awhile as he blathered on that it had already been on one plane today. In the end, he told them "Screw you" while they wished him a good evening, minus his dip.

What are the odds that he would be on the way back to KCI as well? I got to hear all about it on the Blue Bus. Dude, is that the best you can bring back from Cancun? A can of cheese dip?

tired ...

The good thing about the 8:55 pm DEN-MCI is that it maximizes your time there. The bad thing is that you get home after midnight and it's hard to wind down. I had trouble going to sleep and then a long day at work. Then I had annoying errands (store and gas). I contemplated not going to the gym. It was cold and damp and I have alot of laundry and a pile of mail to deal with on the counter.

But I made myself go. I think I really need to split the weightlifting and the cardio. It just takes too long, especially with my late start. Also, the weight area is just gross in the evening. Overly testosteroned, crowded. That needs to be done in the morning.

Anyway, I lifted - all the usuals.
Elliptical - 30 minutes, hill program level 8, allegedly 375 calories burned. Which seemed high. I didn't even go as hard as I do sometimes. Maybe I entered the wrong weight.

I wasn't done until after 8, which is later than I really like to be working out. Actually it's not so much the late working out as it is the eating late. Alot of times I would just eat popcorn, but I was just too hungry and I am trying to make sure I get carbs and protein after a workout. Especially since I spin in the morning.

Run ....

Ran with my sister, 3.25 miles, easy pace. Nice day to run, most of it on dirt.

Usual post-run routine and a ham sandwich.

White Easter

Well due to the SNOW this morning, we decided not to run. Though by now, it's mostly stopped and the roads are melted off so it would have been OK. Fortunately the recreation center was open, so I accompanied by brother the devoted swimmer.

Elliptical - 30 minutes, Hill program, Level 9 - Didn't feel so great, due to too much food and not enough water the last couple days.

Core and stretch routine as usual.

Green Chile

No workouts for over 48 hours. That's a long time for me. But tomorrow we run 4 miles, assuming the Garmin works properly. Or thereabouts. I'll just be happy to do something for 35-40 minutes.

Hopefully, Monday it will become April again and we can hike. What is this freezing drizzle crap, in April and in Colorado?

I have had Colorado green chile twice and some good pizza from a cool restaurant-bookstore ( http://poorrichardswebsite.com/) owned by a liberal in the Springs, which I guess makes it noteworthy in and of itself.

04/05/07

Lifted - The usual routine. I really need to bring my gloves with me. The lat bar digs into my delicate little hands.

Elliptical - 30 mins, Hill Program #1, Level 8, 313 calories, HR n/a - I love hill workouts. I know I'm weird. Arms were a little spent from the lifting however.

Core and Stretches - The usual.

Post workout meal - 3 scrambled eggs, English muffin with PB&J, raisins.

Nutritionary comment - I try to eat healthily and I do pretty well. I do like my beer and while I don't have a huge sweet tooth, I love salty and/or greasy food: chips, fries, pizza, Mex. I don't really want to lose weight but I would like to lose some fat and build up the muscle. I am trying to replace empty calories (i.e. mid-morning animal crackers) with better ones (Luna Bar, Clif Bar). I also am trying to get protein in my diet earlier in the day. Many times I would go until lunch without significant protein and that's probably not good, especially after a morning workout.

Spun.

That is all.

Treadmill ...

I had a little more time this morning as I have to take my car in to get a new tire and they won't have it from the warehouse until later. So I thought I could get a weight and cardio workout this morning.

I used to always do cardio first and then lift, if I were doing both. But then I read that you should lift first. Something about the lifting being anaerobic and the cardio could use fat as energy, I don't know exactly. So I did my usual weight routine, which I think might need review. Jackie from Workout, if you're reading, feel free to comment. Everything is three sets of ten, unless otherwise noted, and m is machine and f is free.
- Leg extension (m) 50 lbs through limited range of motion. This was suggested by the orthopedist last summer to build up my quads without stressing the knee.
- Shoulder press (m) - 80
- Bench press (f) - 70
- Lat pull (m) - 72
- Row (m) - 72
- Bicep curl (f) - 30
- Tricep press (f) - 30
- Back extensions (less than 30 reps)
- Leg lifts (20) in the chair (I always thought that was the Roman Chair but apparently but back extension thing is the Roman Chair, so what is the high chair thing called ?)
- Leg press (m) - 160

I think that is all. I think it needs review and maybe some changes.

Then I thought I would give running on the treadmill a real try. I have never run on a treadmill until recently. I would very rarely run on the indoor track at the gym if it was too crappy out, but for the most part, I run outside. The only condition that is a real problem is ice. One advantage of the treadmill is that you can set a pace and keep it, the other is that it seems alot softer than the ground. So I cranked up the ipod (that's another advantage I guess, not that I have much desire to use that outside anyway) and after a short warm-up pushed it up to 9 minute mile pace. Actually 8:57 or 6.7 mph. I always think in terms of minutes per mile, not miles per hour, when running. I played around with the incline a little but mostly left it flat.

I sounded a lot less like Sasquatch this time. I don't know if it was because it was a different machine or what, but I could not believe how much noise I made the last time. I thought I was a little lighter on my feet than that. I also noticed that I probably need to try one of my other running bras. Anyway, I ran on the treadmill for a little over 30 minutes, including the warmup and cooldown. It's a little boring. I don't think I could do it for much more than 30 minutes. But it was nice to know that I could keep that pace. I thought about going down to a 8:30 or so, but figured maybe I should just see how it felt.

Oh yeah, and then I did the stretches and crunches. No pushups. Extra attention to the hip stretches.

Opening Day

KC 6 - Boston 1. Would have been a sweet day to be there, sunny, low 80's.

Monday and Wednesday mornings are spin class. I like it alot, it's a great workout every time. It's just so damn early. But I made it today and was rewarded with a mix of climbs, intervals, fast easy spins and a few jumps. I think I like climbs the best and jumps the least. But the interval aspect of all of it is what makes it such a good workout, I think. We usually spin for 45 minutes and then do core work and stretches for 15 - 20 minutes.

After work is yoga. I've been doing this Monday night yoga class for a couple years. It's usually pretty slow-paced but I've learned to really appreciate that after beating myself up all weekend. I really need to find a mid-week yoga class as well. I don't seem to have the motivation to do it at home by myself.

Because it was soooo nice, I thought about getting a slice and sitting outside after class. But I didn't. I'll probably be eating more than usual at the end of the week so I decided I should be good. There will be more days for slices ahead.

The First Mowing ...

Today I mowed for the first time this season. I thought maybe it could wait two weeks but I'm afraid of the jungle it would be at that point. Guess that fertilizer helps. And lots of rain and some nice warm days. I need to get a tune-up for that mower as it's been around several years but I don't think it has been tuned up. But that is just a logistical problem so I had to mow anyway. Even with old gas and a blade that probably needs sharpening. The view from the porch sure is green and full. You can't tell how clumpy it is from a distance.

I wasn't as stiff and sore as I expected today. I feel it from yesterday to be sure but not as bad as some previous efforts. Maybe that's due to my stretching and yoga additions in the last few years? The duathlon is actually part of a three race series. I did not do the first one because I didn't feel confident riding the Clinton Lake trails, which I had never done. The next one is at Smithville in two weeks. I have ridden Smithville a time or two and it has a mix of singletrack. Some is smooth and fast, some are a rock garden. I hope they would use the mellower stuff for a race ....

At any rate, it's a good excuse to check out the Saucony line of trail running shoes. I need some new running shoes anyway and I'd like to see how their trail shoes feel.

Today's workout was a recovery workout, due to yesterday's efforts and that I have Take No Prisoners spinning tomorrow morning.
- 35 minutes on "fat burner" mode on the elliptical ( http://us.commercial.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/90x ). I like this elliptical because it's flat. Some of the others are more stair climber like and they can stress my knee occasionally.
- Fat burning mode means keeping the HR at 65% so for me, that's about 116 or 118. That's a pretty casual pace. Also, I would dispute the fat burning aspect. It was my understanding that true fat burning did not happen until your body had used all its available energy sources, which would take close to an hour or so. But I am not a nutritionist or a trainer, so take that for what it's worth.
- Claims I burned 300 calories. Which might be sort of accurate, given that it knows my weight and speed.
- The alleged pace would be about a 7 minute mile. There is no way if I was running 7 minute miles, my HR would be in the low 120's. But that's the difference between a trainer and running in the wild, I guess.
- Finished with my usual core and stretching routine. Some basic yoga postures, especially for the hips and legs, my problem flexibility areas. 20 pushups (sometimes 30 but I was a little beat), 150 crunches (50 standard, 100 bicycle style). A little of that plank pose on your forearms.