Tag: bike

fitness and nutrition

A Year of Endurance

2chicksandapen

52 weeks. 52 workouts. Some as short as a half hour. Some as long as 90 minutes.

Learn how to manage your energy. Focus on your pacing. From easy to comfortable to moderate to hard to very hard to sprint. Can you figure out the difference? Then, can you apply it?

As it is with most of my challenges, the number one rule is just show up. Many of these workouts were done early in the morning on the C2 bike at the gym. Often, I opted for them when none of my friends could make it to CrossFit or when I woke up extremely early and could fit it in before class.

And I’ve made it to the end. 52/52. The program is designed with initial tests and retests. How did I progress? In all of the tests I took a solid percentage off of my times from last January. Almost a minute in some cases.

Many days I didn’t feel like it. Many days I struggled. Many days my paces were slower than what they should have been. But I kept at it. I did not quit.

And honestly, the real sense of victory came on a recent fat tire snow bike ride. A lot of the first 90 minutes of the ride were up, up, up. Gentle inclines to moderately steep. All of it on SNOW. Keeping in mind this is a klutzy girl who actually fell off the bike before we even made it out of the parking lot, I was pretty anxious about riding on snow. But once I got the hang of it, I was all good, especially going up. I could just keep going with a few breaks here and there. Even figured out most of the uphill hairpin switchbacks. Being able to do long endurance outside of the gym is a different sort of test, and one I feel I passed with the high five at the top from our guide.

There are many in the SP endurance community that are on their third year with no misses. Will I continue? Probably, but I will also probably branch out into other bikes or rowing or running. A goal to think about. For now, I will smile as I relish the rewards of just showing up, time and time again. A new badge in my app and a medal in my mailbox. All it takes is once a week. Just keep doing it. Give what you have that day. Consistency really is key.

fitness and nutrition

Challenge Time

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At the end of November I decided I would post a fitness picture a day online or a combo of days online to show my activity in December 2022. The main reason for such was to document a month of consistency to me, but then I thought sharing my story may inspire others. That’s how I ended up with this post. It somewhat accents my online photo reel.

As my plan was put in motion, out of the blue a virtual challenge was mentioned in one of my fitness groups. Off I went to conquer my updated goal. For me. To add another layer to my consistency plan for December 2022. A few friends joined in on the virtual challenge. I made my first entry and I was hooked. It was the entry that got me. A light bulb went off of how being active is one thing but tracking it is another.

A national leaderboard holds you somewhat accountable. The logging of an activity holds you accountable. Doing it with friends adds an accountability layer. Much like tracking your nutrition, tracking your exercise is critical to long term success. What gets measured gets done. This added layer will justify those holiday cookies I suppose.

Progress picture one is done at the time of this post. I’ve spent 10 miles on the assault bike already. The first of many I’m sure. Not my favorite piece of equipment but one I will use for this month more than I like. I may even take a hike with a ruck if the rain lets up in my area. Something I wouldn’t normally consider but will entertain due to this challenge of sorts. Off I go.

In addition to the ruck action, I dusted off my Concept 2 bike erg at home. I used to regularly use this back in 2020 pre-corona as my second workout of day but let that go some time ago. Now I’m back in that saddle on the days I can make it outside due to weather or other reasons. 

Six days in and I knocked out some 20,000 meters. Just a mere 79,xxx to go. No big deal. I have a week of travel planned so I must stay on track the half of the month to meet my goal or at least give me a cushion. Look for an update on the coming weeks to see how I fared.

balance

Road Bike Ramblings

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Checked the tires. Helmet on. Out before dawn.

A pre-sunrise neighborhood bike ride was on the docket. Thirty minutes. Easy peasy. Just cruising to get the blood flowing early on a Sunday.

I live at the top of a hill. So the very first thing I get to do is fly. Fly down the hill, wind in my face, breathing deep. Yes, all you Safety Susies, I left my Airpods at home so I could pay closer attention to any traffic at the early hour. As a side benefit I also enjoyed the sounds of the crickets. The frogs. The quiet of morning. A line from a poem came to mind…”to be the only one awake in a house wrapped in sleep.” There is a special peace in that (and maybe a few giggles thinking how many safety cameras I was tripping off.)

Once the wind hit my face on that downhill I remembered how much I love my road bike. Just getting going on it makes me smile but flying down a hill is such a special feeling of freedom. So it makes no sense that I don’t ride more often. I only get out once a month or so. I keep saying I am going to do a triathlon this year. But I realized I am in a mode where the distance between what I say I want to do and what I actually do is great. I want to slim down to feel better but I don’t adjust my nutrition to achieve that. I want to write more but don’t take the time. I want to express gratitude to people who have helped me but the thank you cards still sit in their wrapper. Something I thought about as I rolled under the streetlamps.

Back to biking…I have been doing an endurance program at the gym once a week on a stationary bike. It’s been good for my pacing and endurance control. I tell myself it’s triathlon training. But it doesn’t replace time on an actual road on a bike.

When it comes to the road bike, I hate the uphills. I fumble with the gears trying to make my legs hurt less. My neighborhood is basically all hills of various lengths and gradients. (This is one reason why I sometimes don’t get on my road bike. It takes time and effort to transport it to a flat course.) But as I was riding this morning, I embraced the hills. I took my time getting up them. I sat with the pain instead of resisting it. And then, I enjoyed the coast down the other side. The reward for the work. The time to breathe.

I thought about many friends who I know are facing that big hill in their lives. With a job. With a family member. With a relationship. With themselves. They don’t want to climb it. They would rather go around or just stay put. (This is me, too! In more areas than I’ve even shared.) The only way to get that feeling of freedom is to do the work of getting up the hill. Some times of life are just smooth effort, puttering along on the flats, enjoying the scenery. But exhilaration, the relief, the satisfaction of wind at my face comes after I’ve pushed myself through a challenge. Time to summit the hills I’ve just been staring down, hoping they will disappear. I have been given these mountains to show they can be moved, as they say. Or, so that I can enjoy the beauty and freedom of the other side.

balance

A Peaceful Stroll

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Today I took a quiet stroll.

Alone.

My stroll wasn’t preplanned rather it was spontaneous. Off I went. The air was cool and crisp. The shade of the trees added a drop in temperature to 8-10 degrees lower. Unexpected chill but maybe that alerted my senses more.

Hands in pockets watching the trees blow around me. Enjoying the scents in the air on this morning. My path wasn’t set. I was just shuffling along. Sometimes on pavement. Sometimes on gravel. I had the option of grass but didn’t drift that way.

On my stroll I thought about many things. I listened to many sounds. I viewed and observed all of what was around me. I genuinely felt thankful for where I am in life. For the good times as well as the bad times. Sometimes taking a back seat to your own life allows you to see your fortune. Not the fortune of money rather the fortune of life and living it. Experience.

I have experience. I can bend and flex and fit into any mix of people or settings. A skill I have worked on all my whole life. Experiences have helped me mature enough to know when I need to bend and flex. When to reframe the gloomy outlook. When to spark creativity.

My mind works in overdrive during the oddest times. Sometimes it’s in a sleep state. Sometimes on a random stroll. The beauty of a quiet mind yields results. I had a recent conversation with a teenage boy. He mentioned how long it takes him to fall asleep. I questioned why. He noted his mind takes time to wind down.

How I related in many ways. In life we all must find a balance for not only us but those closest to us. Kids especially have an always on mentality. Even more so than me. The younger generation is overactive online making it hard to flip the off switch. They are less likely to take the stroll alone I mentioned above. Therefore we should check in on those around us to see how we can help them recharge in non-traditional ways.

Sports or working out of sorts helps as the fatigue will wear one out.

A day at the beach can help. The sun. The sand. The limited reach of electronics. All add a level of fatigue.

An outing such as a hike, bowling, top golf, go-karting, kayaking, and so on. These little outings can provide a change of scenery. A lot of laughter. An escape from the planned days many are accustomed to. Adventures will let the mind settle and possibly add a dream state of what could be next.

Add mindfulness to your day or week. My Apple Watch tells me it’s a thing. Something to remind me to do daily, however I already know this. I am hopeful this post will spur thoughts or action in you or inspire you to influence another. 

Practice mindfulness.

Set a goal of peace for yourself.

Challenge yourself to do something different.

Riding your bike to work one day not driving may be just the variation you need. Not all can do this but if you can, try it. See how it goes. 

adventure

Staycation

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I had a staycation this spring break. It was amazing. I didn’t need an expensive beach trip. I didn’t need the crowds of Disney. I didn’t need to figure out travel restrictions from state to state.

Instead I opted for easy. Simple. No frills. Just a local staycation. I stayed and played. Lunch dates sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and company. Outdoor activities with friends and family. From bike rides to hikes to just playing fetch with the dog in the yard.

A little catch-up on the home to do list. A little planting. A little too much shopping. Some driveway car washing. Home cooked meals some which were good and some not so good. That is funny in itself.

Slept in a few days because I could not that I should. A little mix up in the routine and mundane. Let the laundry sit in the dryer an extra day. Spent some time visiting on the spur of the moment. A little thing I missed during the pandemic.

No rules. No have tos. No timelines. Come and go as I please. Something as simple as camping in your own yard or toasting marshmallows over a fire pit can seem like a vacation. Whether you stay or whether you go is up to you. You can make memories either way.

For me a staycation was just right for me. Now my family may say otherwise but this Chick enjoyed the stay. As simple as it was.