Off-season "Fitness"

Yesterday was a harsh lesson in the differences between peak fitness and off-season "fitness".  Instead of my usual Saturday ride with the fitness group out of Rockwall Cycling, I joined the race-pace group.  The advertised difference is about 3mph faster, reality is usually much more.  I popped off the back of the group a mere 8.5 miles in, my heartrate refused to recover, and I was never able to close the gap back.  Very disappointing.  Here's what made the disappointment greater --- the group was not riding any faster than I have gone before on the same route.  This was all about my personal fitness ..... and I can prove it.

Cycling on One Leg

Anyone who has followed my wife or I on Facebook has no doubt seen a status referring to the dreaded single-leg trainer.  What the heck are we talking about?  The key to cycling efficiency of course!  This used to be the most wonderfully horrid exercise on my training schedule (my opinion of it has eased some since).

Why No Bling?

So, all you runners out there that follow my sister's blog Racing It Off are well aware of a challenge she has going on called Run For the Bling of It.  If you haven't checked it out yet then follow the link and take the challenge.  New participants have till the end of January.  She's also done a review and giveaway for medal displays called Sporthooks which are great for showing off your bling.  One problem ...... us cyclists just don't seem to get bling.  Why not?

New Goals, New Disciplines

Weather has gotten this year off to a sluggish start but there's no time to waste in 2011.  This year is filled with some new goals that require new training regiments ..... and a new coach.

Winter Gear - The Lower Body

As I type this it is snowing outside.  That being said, winters are more of a short-term concern in Texas ..... and that affects my clothing choices.  In a perfect world all cycling would be in warm weather.  In a slightly less than perfect world we could all afford specialized clothing for any set of conditions.  In the real world, we find ways to maximize what we already have.

Winter Gear - The Upper Body

Last year when the cold hit I wasn't serious enough about training to ride outside much.  This year is different and more cold rides means more cold riding gear.  There's been a lot of trial and error to find the right combinations for each temperature range.  Here is a selection of my favorites from the head down.

Superman 5k

The medal for 1st overall.

On New Year's Day Angelia and Julian hit the ground running.  The event: the Superman 5k, a frigid affair near Caruth Lake in Rockwall and put on by Rockwall Running Center.  This was a unique race in that for the first time we unleashed Julian to run his pace.  We enlisted the help of some grandparents to watch for him at the finish line as I was unsure if I could make it.  Why?  Well, remember that fitness ride I lead out of Rockwall Cycling?  The other leader of that ride, Keith, was running this race with his wife.  That made my first order of business to wait and see if any cyclists were crazy enough to venture out for a ride in freezing temperatures.  None did and I booked it over to the YMCA in my car, parked, and hopped on my bike to find the runners who had started 10 minutes prior.

2010: A Slow-twitch Odyssey (part 2)

Ang, my sister Lesley (Racing It Off),
and her friend Jenn

The last half of 2010 was a true game-changer for Ang and I.  In July, Angelia decided to give running a real try by signing up for a C25K (Couch to 5k) program under the guidance of Coach Barrett from Rockwall Running Center.  The program really pushed her limits and it didn't help that the hip and knee were being unkind despite therapy earlier in the year.  In the end though, she emerged with a whole new group of friends and motivators.  In September the class ran their first 5k, the local Rib Rub 'n Run.  They all had successful runs and a lot of family members were there to cheer her on.  This was a definitely a big step for Angelia towards her long-term triathlon goal.