Fitness 2014

[alfred russel]

Three straight days of 30 mile jaunts, all averaging above 15mph.  Yesterday the legs were a big rubbery, but today was good.  I want to do 7 straight days since I have the week off.

Yeah in comparision I really need to pull my finger out.   

I guess the thing to keep in mind, and I suspect you aren't forgetting, is that his rides are over some rather challenging terrain and at a decent altitude. For us to match him, we really need to do a lot more.

[Legbiter]

Been faithfully doing Rippetoe's Starting Strength now for 5 months, I've added dozens of kgs to my main lifts (back squat, shoulder press, bench, deadlift and power clean) but I feel recovery is about to become an issue since it's getting harder to adapt inbetween workouts. I'll need to switch to something new in the next month or so. 

Still, it's been an awesome ride and very probably the best fitness program I've ever done in my life. I'll never gain as much strength and as fast as I did on that.

[mongers]

My running plans have been something of a boondoggle. I've settled into 3-4 6 mile runs at ~8 min a mile each week, supplemented with a couple of stints on an exercise bike of ~50 minutes. I keep planning longer runs on weekends, but they keep not happening (rain, other commitments, and the beginning of a hot Georgia summer aren't helping).

So basically this isn't good for getting up to a marathon.

However, I did a health screen today, and my blood pressure was normal, and my resting heart rate was 45. My blood pressure was elevated and my resting heart rate in the 80s before I started running. So even as I am missing my goals, I'm getting some benefits.

Those are pretty damn important achievements.

I'd argue more so than any arbitrary goals we set ourselves. 

[Maladict]

Three straight days of 30 mile jaunts, all averaging above 15mph.  Yesterday the legs were a big rubbery, but today was good.  I want to do 7 straight days since I have the week off.

This inspired me to get my maps out and plan some trips. 

[mongers]

Three straight days of 30 mile jaunts, all averaging above 15mph.  Yesterday the legs were a big rubbery, but today was good.  I want to do 7 straight days since I have the week off.

This inspired me to get my maps out and plan some trips. 

+1

Indeed I should be doing that too.

[PDH]

I've told you that my plan by the end of the Summer is to ride over the Snowy Range Mountains near here (last weekend they just busted the snow there to open the road).  With that in mind my regular route, the one I ride 3-5 times a week, is a 10 mile relatively flat ride out to a 2.5 mile climb - average is about 4.5%, barring the false flat at the end it is a nice 6% climb.  I do the climb twice, in a month I want to be doing it 3 times, then I ride back.  My goal is always to average 15 mph.

For the record, I am still stout, I don't climb well (I get passed by the real riders all the time, though I do descend like a demon with all my weight), and I don't wear a biking outfit.  Still, I think I am addicted to it.

[Josquius]

My plan to go running two or three times a week has sort of petered out as the weather has become more and more humid

[Maladict]

I've told you that my plan by the end of the Summer is to ride over the Snowy Range Mountains near here (last weekend they just busted the snow there to open the road).  With that in mind my regular route, the one I ride 3-5 times a week, is a 10 mile relatively flat ride out to a 2.5 mile climb - average is about 4.5%, barring the false flat at the end it is a nice 6% climb.  I do the climb twice, in a month I want to be doing it 3 times, then I ride back.  My goal is always to average 15 mph.

For the record, I am still stout, I don't climb well (I get passed by the real riders all the time, though I do descend like a demon with all my weight), and I don't wear a biking outfit.  Still, I think I am addicted to it.

Climbing is awesome

[Maladict]

Right, since my Ventoux plan collapsed I signed up for something insane closer to home.

It's a 4 km lap containing a fairly vicious 1 km climb (average 10%, max 13%).
The challenge is to do up to 40 laps. 

[mongers]

I've told you that my plan by the end of the Summer is to ride over the Snowy Range Mountains near here (last weekend they just busted the snow there to open the road).  With that in mind my regular route, the one I ride 3-5 times a week, is a 10 mile relatively flat ride out to a 2.5 mile climb - average is about 4.5%, barring the false flat at the end it is a nice 6% climb.  I do the climb twice, in a month I want to be doing it 3 times, then I ride back.  My goal is always to average 15 mph.

For the record, I am still stout, I don't climb well (I get passed by the real riders all the time, though I do descend like a demon with all my weight), and I don't wear a biking outfit.  Still, I think I am addicted to it.

It must be nice to have substantial targets/ambitions.

What's rather gotten me down, is the six months of never ending mud and rain, did I mention the rain?; wettest winter on record and he's been the wettest in place in the UK. That added to living in a river valley means I'm never far from standing water and mud.   

I've done a bit over 750 miles during winter and just 1100 miles this spring, but if I'd used a new bike in these conditions, it would have all but been ruined by day in day use.
Oh for some good weather, so I can get out and about and get some miles under my belt.

[Norgy]

A resting heartrate at 45 is abnormally good, AR.

Mine is at 56 nowadays, despite smoking and the occasional falling off the wagon. It used to be in the high 80s.

I ran 15 km yesterday. When I say "ran", it means I walked half of the distance. I am in poor shape now. Might start playing a bit of football again for the cardio. If I don't post again in a few weeks, it means my heart exploded.

[PDH]

I made 5 days so far out of 7.  Today was rough, light rain at the start (I hate biking in the rain), that turned heavier about a third of the way through.  The only saving grace was the rain letting up about 9 miles in and the sagebrush filling the clean air.  Then, as I was ready to stare the climb in the face, the rain started to piss down again, so I abandoned that and rode home.

20 miles today, and about a half hour of working cleaning and re-oiling the bike after that affair.

Tomorrow I have to do better.

[mongers]

I made 5 days so far out of 7.  Today was rough, light rain at the start (I hate biking in the rain), that turned heavier about a third of the way through.  The only saving grace was the rain letting up about 9 miles in and the sagebrush filling the clean air.  Then, as I was ready to stare the climb in the face, the rain started to piss down again, so I abandoned that and rode home.

20 miles today, and about a half hour of working cleaning and re-oiling the bike after that affair.

Tomorrow I have to do better.

[Maladict]

 

[Maladict]

Nice 140km trip yesterday, apart from the unexpected sunburn 

Started out along the old Hanseatic towns of Zwolle and Kampen, then into the new lands reclaimed from the former south sea.  The land is barely 50 years old but contains some of the more interesting wildlife in the country. At one point I passed within a few meters of a huge eagle owl. At Lelystad I got a glimpse of the recent shipwrecks excavated in the area and the replica of an East Indiaman under construction.
Then came an ill-judged turn into the wind along the 25km dam to North Holland, pretty tough going. After passing through the East India Company ports of Enkhuizen and Hoorn I finally got a nice tailwind for the final stretch into Amsterdam, getting my average speed up to 29km/h.