Stop The Presses!!

I’ve done TWO bike workouts in the last 3 days!!

I hardly believe it myself.

Thursday: 1:40 on the trainer. I started off just watching TV. Then I started watching “Mission Impossible 3” on DVD (Borsch lent us a huge bag of DVDs for just this purpose). I didn’t make it all the way through the movie, but 100 minutes on the trainer wasn’t too bad.

My legs were burning and my bum was sore. Time to shower and get to a meeting. Good workout, but mentally draining. I REALLY hope that by mid to late March, the sun will have cleared some local bike paths so I can do my 4 hour rides outside. REALLY hoping!!

Saturday: Brick workout at the Y. Today, I got up at 6:45 (although sleeping in sounded REALLY good!) to get everything ready to go. I planned on hitting the 8-9 am interval spinning class, then heading outside for about a 6 mile run. When I got to the Y, the class was already full with 2 people on the waiting list! But once I set my mind to a workout, it must happen.

I found 3 old spinning bikes in the far back corner of the Y (not in the regular spinning studio). I figured I could make up my own interval workout on the bike. I got changed in the locker room, and I got my running clothes all laid out in my locker so I could get off the bike and out on the run quickly. Here I am all ready to go:

(it’s OK to have a camera in the locker room, right?...)

So here’s the workout I made up (after a 12 minute warm-up of easy-moderate spinning):

• 3 minute intervals with resistance up
• 2 minutes with resistance down, spinning easier
• Repeat 5 times
• Cool down

Partway through my workout, I started thinking that running outside once I was SOAKED THROUGH with sweat maybe wasn’t the smartest idea. So I started keeping my eye on open treadmills - but they were filling up quickly. As I was starting a little cool down, I figured I’d see if I could find an open treadmill and sign up for some time on it. As I walked into the other room, a lady was just getting off her dreadmill. I snatched it up, and cut my spinning workout a little short.

So I signed up for the treadmill, wiped down my sweaty bike, ran to the locker room to change out of my bike shorts, and ran back out to start my run. About 3 minutes after jumping off the bike, I was running on the suckmill. Here’s the treadmill numbers:

• Started: 8.0 mph
• At 10 minutes: 8.5 mph
• At 20 minutes: 9.0 mph
• At 25 minutes: 9.5 mph
• At 30 minutes: 10.0 mph
• At 35 minutes: 10.5 mph

About 90 seconds before speeding up, I started really trying to run easy, smooth, and quiet. That way, when it was time to speed up, I felt like I was running easily, and I was ready for the faster pace. I think that idea worked well. Try it sometime - you’ll be ready to speed up after focusing on running easy for 90 seconds. My first mile was done in 7:30, and I kept speeding up until my 6th mile was done in 5:45.

I finished 6 miles on the treadmill in 40:04 feeling pretty good. And that was after a 45 minute interval ride on a spinning bike. Weekend workout done!

Here I am after I finished:

Compare that to the first photo, and you can kinda tell that my shirt is COMPLETELY soaked through with sweat. I smell nice. Trust me.

Then I headed home and stretched while watching “Saved By The Bell.” Remember when puffy rainbow sleeves were a good look?

Now excuse me, but after a few good workouts on a bike saddle, I need to go put some soothing cream on my taint.

p.s. If you would still like to vote for my blog, please click on the “Vote Now!” badge at the top of my sidebar. Voting closes tonight! Thanks!

p.p.s. The photos from last weekend’s COLD race just came out, so I’ll post those in the next day or 2. There are some good ones!! Check back. Happy weekend!!