Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

 

Justifying Another Bike

When we bought our beach cruisers earlier this summer I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t use it enough to justify owning another bike. This past week proved to me that buying bikes was a good investment and we’ll save money over the long haul by not having to rent bikes each time we come to the beach.

The first full day here at the beach, I ran and walked, but have ridden my bike each day since. We time our rides to during low tide so we have hard packed sand on which to ride.  The hardest part of the ride is pushing our bikes through the deep loose sand to and from the house to the water’s edge – that’s a workout in its own!

 

So with a road bike, a gravel bike, and now a beach cruiser, my fleet is complete and I can ride on pretty much any surface I choose. Worth noting, though, there will be no mountain bike in my future!

 

Overview of the Week

Before discussing each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…

 

Sunday

Cycling: 40 miles
• Average speed: 13 MPH
• Bike: Cannondale Topstone
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 2,313 feet
• Start time: 8:07 AM
• Location: Ashburn to Leesburg to Lincoln loop
• Weather: 71° and sunny, climbing to 86° (feels like 92°)
• What I wore: bike bibs and s/s jersey

After several weeks of missing Sunday rides with the Gravel Rats, we were back with our new friends for one of my favorite routes. It’s a scenic 22-mile route and Bill and I added mileage by riding to and from the starting point.

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Travel to the beach

 

Tuesday

Yoga: Sun Salutations

Running: 1 mile
• Average pace: 10:50
• Start time: 3:57 PM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 86° (feels like 96°) and sunny
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

Walking: 2 miles
• Average pace: 15:46
• Start time: 4:18 PM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 86° (feels like 97°) and changing from sunny to overcast
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

At the beach I have to coordinate my runs with low tide and since the morning low tide was at 3:58 AM I opted to wait until the afternoon to head out. Despite a feels like temperature in the high 90’s, it felt quite comfortable by the water.

 

Wednesday

Running: 5K
• Average pace: 9:46
• Start time: 7:13 AM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 76° with the sun rising to sunny
• What I wore: shorts and tank

Roll: 10 minutes

Stretch: 10 minutes

Cycling: 15 miles
• Average speed: 9.1 MPH
• Bike: Electra Cruiser Lux
• Surface: sand
• Elevation gain: 32 feet
• Start time: 3:56 PM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean to the Virginia line
• Weather: 82° (feels like 87°) and sunny with 7 MPH wind out of the southeast
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

As low tide approached, Bill and I readied our new beach cruisers for our first official ride on the beach. We had a delightful tailwind as we rode north to the NC/VA border, but faced a noticeable headwind on our return.

I was thrilled to have purchased a basket for my bike so I could carry water and Gatorade. Notice, though, that we’re not wearing our normal cycling kits. My bike seat is so wide and padded that I don’t need padded bike shorts and with a basket, I don’t need a jersey with pockets across the back. I also opted to leave my bike Garmin (affiliate link) at home and use my running Garmin (affiliate link) in bike mode instead.

 

Thursday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 7 miles
• Average speed: 8.3 MPH
• Bike: Electra Cruiser Lux
• Surface: sand
• Elevation gain: 14 feet
• Start time: 7:29 AM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 76° and sunny, climbing to 78°
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

Riding with our sister-in-law, we had a road block of a different nature when we had to stop and move out of the way for three wild horses walking our way. We’d gotten a late start relative to low tide so we encountered loose sand the final quarter mile of our ride which made riding more difficult.

 

And finally, after an afternoon of procrastinating, I dragged my dumbbells and yoga mat out of the closet (I brought the other items with me) and lifted weights, adding in walking lunges which I hadn’t done in a while.

 

Friday

Cycling: 8 miles
• Average speed: 9.3 MPH
• Bike: Electra Cruiser Lux
• Surface: sand
• Elevation gain: 14 feet
• Start time: 7:26 AM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 76° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

Running: 2 miles
• Average pace: 9:52
• Start time: 8:44 AM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 79° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts and tank

Roll: 10 minutes

Stretch: 10 minutes

Holy moly, DOMS was in full effect and my glutes were complaining bitterly all day after doing walking lunges the day before.

 

Saturday

Strength training: 1 hour total body

Yoga: Sun salutations

Cycling: 10 miles
• Average speed: 10.5 MPH
• Bike: Electra Cruiser Lux
• Surface: sand
• Elevation gain: 21 feet
• Start time: 7:38 AM
• Location: Swan Beach along the Atlantic Ocean
• Weather: 78° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts and tank top

Roll: 5 minutes

Stretch: 5 minutes

After my ride, I pushed my bike back through the loose sand to the house and returned to the beach for a walk. As soon as I started walking, my left hip flexor started complaining. I tried walking a couple of times, but couldn’t without pain. Oddly, I didn’t hurt on my walk through the loose sand back to the house and it didn’t hurt walking around inside the house. Later in the morning, I rolled and stretched both hips after lifting weights. Hopefully, whatever it was was short-lived and it won’t bother me again.

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…

 

Questions:
  • • What little short term niggles have you experienced that fortunately went away quickly? ~ Here’s hoping my hip flexor is just that!
  • • What was your favorite workout of the week? ~ Sunday’s gravel ride was my favorite workout.
  • • Did you run in a race this weekend?

 

And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!

 

*********************************************************************

 

I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!

 

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.