Splendid Sunday Cycling

Although it started out chilly this morning, it turned out perfect and that led to a great ride. Parri, Lisa, Shelly, Jonelle, Todd, and I met at Lisa's for a 1:30 endurance ride. It is everyone's off season, so the focus for these base miles was staying steady. Here's the route:

 Not too hilly, not too flat

• 1:30, 27.61 miles, 18.5 average, 2,030 calories, 153 HR (186 max)

I learned during this ride that my "steady" is not everyone else's "steady." The first hill I led up, I kept a steady speed and powered up. Then I learned that I should probably keep HR steady instead of speed . When I tried to keep my HR steady, I was at a higher risk of falling off (although I wouldn't have let that happen—all I had to do was up the HR and I was back on). I guess this is something I'll have to work on; or perhaps we'll all know the route next time and I can ride my "steady" and they can ride their "steady." Todd beat us all to the first sprint sign...

Every cyclists sprint marker, but we all forgot until he passed us and was too far ahead to catch (and yes, it was a Brentwood City Limits sign, but I can't find any images; it doesn't really matter what city it is, though, because we race to all of them!)

...but on the way back, Parri, Lisa, and I had dropped Shelly and Jonelle, Todd went back to get them, and we stayed ahead; we beat him to the last sign! Then the three of us took off. I had been itching to go and did; I knew we were within a few miles, and I pulled them for about a mile at 26/27 mph. They went around me up the hill, but I caught them on the downhill. This will be a great weekly ride! If you're ever in the area at 2pm on Sundays, come join us!

Prior to the ride, I completed another third of my mission (the final third was a run, but since I raced yesterday I did not run today).

• Wall squat: extreme slow 3:30
• Body squat: 50 quick style (short pause at top and bottom, but quick down and even quicker back up)
• Glute ham: extreme slow 3:30
• Wall squat: 50 quick style
• Standing curl: extreme slow 3:30, 15-lb dumbbells
• Towel curl: 50 quick style
• Push up: extreme slow 3:30 on knees
• Towel front delt raise: 50 quick style

Between this and the ride, I had about an hour to eat lunch and get ready. I was nervous that the ride would be tough, but I felt great! Will said later that if you do it right, you should feel energized because this basically primes your muscles (or something; I forget his exact wording). I was definitely focused on doing it right, fast, and well; but it took pretty much all the composure I could muster to NOT laugh at and want to talk to the girl who was in there running.

Whitney and I were the only two working out at the Landing's fitness area at the time, and she was running on the treadmill while wearing headphones and watching TV. Nothing abnormal about that; what was abnormal was her workout. For the entire 45 minutes, the treadmill was running. She would run about 10 paces, get off, tie her shoe, stand for a minute, run another 10–20 paces, get off, tie her other shoe, repeat, fix her pants leg, repeat, repeat, repeat. I desperately wanted to ask why, but I refrained and let her continue. Then I laughed about it later. Maybe it had a purpose?