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Giving in to Cycling
My running friends often laugh and remind me of what I thought of cyclists a mere 15 years ago. We encountered enough extremely rude bikers on the W&OD Trail that I let a few dictate my opinion of all. At that time, despite knowing how important cross-training would be for my running, I refused to give cycling a try.
I now spend hours when out on one of my bikes (road, gravel, or beach cruiser) and even ride indoors during the colder winter months. After finishing a ride on my spin bike (affiliate link) on Tuesday I snapped a picture and it wasn’t until later that an interesting thought popped into my head. Despite a 20 year age difference, the biggest difference between the two Debs pictured is that the younger Deb wouldn’t be caught dead on a bike.
Let’s just say I’m older and wiser now!
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: 20 miles
• Average speed: 16.7 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 11:36 PM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 66°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra
Monday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Tuesday
Cycling: 10 miles
• Average speed: 16.2 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:30 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 63°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra
Running: 5K
• Average pace: 10:16 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 98 feet
• Start time: 11:08 AM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 40° (feels like 38°) and mostly cloudy
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, nylon shell, gloves, mittens, ear warmer headband, and visor
Foam rolling: 10 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
Wednesday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
I had every intention of going for a walk, but with a free afternoon, I registered for an online course to earn CEU’s for my personal training and weight management certifications. I ended up working on the course for over six hours, hardly moving from in front of my MacBook. I’ll tell you more about the class the next time we meet for coffee.
Thursday
Cycling: 18 miles
• Average speed: 16.3 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 5:58 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra
Walking: 2 Miles
• Average pace: 14:45 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 105 feet
• Start time: 10:59 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 45° (feels like 41°) and overcast
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, fleece jacket, gloves, and ear warmer headband
I’m always happy when Kim and I can find a morning that works for both of us to workout together. We’re both the opt outside type, but winter weather doesn’t lend itself to pre-dawn outdoor bike rides which gives us the opportunity to catch up via FaceTime while spinning away in the warmth and safety of our basements. Thanks, Kim, for the post race high five collage!
Friday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Balance and stretching: 45 minutes
Saturday
Running: 5K
• Average pace: 9:24 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 80 feet
• Start time: 10:58 AM
• Location: neighborhood streets
• Weather: 34° (feels like 24°), breezy, and overcast
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, mid-weight jacket, gloves, mittens, ear warmer headband, and visor
Walking: 1 Mile
• Average pace: 14:48 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 24 feet
• Start time: 11:32 AM
• Location: neighborhood streets
• Weather: 35° (feels like 26°), breezy, and overcast
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, mid-weight jacket, gloves, mittens, ear warmer headband, and visor
Foam rolling: 10 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
The wind made it quite nippy with a feels like of 26° when I headed out for my run. In the winter, I can normally wear a short or long sleeved top and a thin nylon shell when I run, but I donned my mid-weight Brooks jacket I’ve had for several years, but rarely wear because normally it’s too hot (LOL it’s still an unlined jacket, just not super thin). Layered over a short sleeved shirt, it was perfect and I was excited to pull it out of my closet. Once I finished my run and stopped at the pond for pictures before walking the mile home, I got quite cold though.
Last Week’s Blog Posts
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
- • Sunday – Weekly RunDown: January 1 – 7 / Opting Outside
- • Tuesday – Training Tip Tuesday: How to Engage the Core During Exercise and Everyday Life
Questions
- • Are there any sports you used to think you’d hate, but now embrace? ~ Cycling and yoga for me (although I don’t spend enough time practicing yoga)
- • What was your favorite workout of the week? ~ I had a lot of fun during my virtual ride with Kim, and despite the cold, yesterday’s run was very enjoyable.
- • Did you run in race this weekend? ~ No
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
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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.
Winter made a return this weekend for sure! The wind is blowing today. We still encounter some pretty unfriendly cyclists out on the trail. I do believe in giving lots of positive reinforcement to the polite ones who announce their passing 🙂 Fun to workout w Kim via FT.
When I’m riding on the W&OD Trail, I always greet runners and walkers with a “good morning” to let pedestrians know that there are more nice cyclists than the nasty ones. 😀
My running friend is trying to talk me into biking. I’m still resisting. We’ll see.
A fun race today.
I do need to try yoga again.
You should definitely try to get out on your bike when it warms up.
I should have made “doing yoga once a week” one of my 2023 goals. I guess it’s not too late…
I never really resisted biking, but I sure do notice how rude many bikers are, both on paved paths and dirt trails. Why?? I ran yesterday in a long sleeved base layer and light windbreaker and doubted it’d be enough for 21 degrees but it was actually fine. The struggle is real on knowing how to dress. Haha!
I think the rude cyclists are so focused on getting a good workout that they fail to consider that they are sharing the trail with others. The W&OD Trail rates cyclists as lowest on the totem pole who are supposed to yield to all other users. But some choose to ignore it…
Running is the sport I never thought I would love. I really need to make more of an effort with cycling. I always say that though lol. So glad you and Kim can make time to work out together!
I did race this weekend and it was wonderful! Even if it was COLD!
Jenn recently posted…we are off to a strong start
I’m loving seeing so many people respond that running is the sport they never thought they’d love. 🙂
Your COLD race would probably be my ideal running conditions. LOL
I’m also a proud member of the Older and Wiser Club as well 😉 Remember, my bike (Gustavas) sat in storage for many years before I became friends with him. Honestly, I can really credit the pandemic for my love of biking taking off. Not only did I have my stress fracture to deal with (so I needed another form of cardio since running/walking was off limits for a couple months), but several of our friends joined us for weekend bike rides since there wasn’t any college football to watch. It was great spinning and grinning with you (again) this week. Looking forward to the next ride!
I can definitely credit the pandemic for solidifying my love of cycling. I suddenly had so much more time to get out and ride with Bill and his friends. That, and that I was rehabbing from a running injury and needed to cross-train.
Yes, it was so fun to ride together virtually!
Cycling has always been part of my training and it has been an excellent back up plan when I couldn’t run. I agree with you about the rude cyclists. We encountered a few mountain bikers on our trail run today and had to step off the trails to let them pass. God forbid they’d move over to share the trail with us!
My favorite workout of the week? I’d be hard pressed to pick between Thursday’s strength sesh and my race!
The stories I could tell about rude cyclists… That’s why I go out of my way to be nice to walkers and runners when I’m riding. 😀
YES. Strength training! I went from hating it, to doing it grudgingly, to now actually… sometimes… enjoying it. I don’t like cycling, but a lot of that is that I don’t have anywhere great to ride around here and I’m always worried about being hit by a car. If I had beautiful cycling routes like you do it might be a different story.
That’s great that you’re now embracing strength training!
Almost all of our gravel riding is on roads in the western part of our county so we always have to be aware of our surroundings. Luckily, a lot of those roads don’t have a lot of vehicular traffic.
What an awesome pic of you working out “together”. So awesome to be able to do that
>• Are there any sports you used to think you’d hate, but now embrace? ~
Um, running? I never thought I’d go back to it when I stopped after blowing out my knee in high school.
Yes, it’s so fun to be able to workout together. I don’t think any of us would have thought to try that if it weren’t for Covid hitting. I certainly wouldn’t have started training clients virtually if not for that.
How awesome that you gave running a second chance! 🙂
Running! I hated running as a kid, teenager, etc. Maybe if I’d had body glide and compression shorts back then ….
So fun that you and Kim rode “together”. I miss our pandemic “group rides.”
Oh, I never realized you used to hate running. It’s awesome that you’re embracing it now!
If my injury has taught me one thing, is that I should have used it more often last summer.
I will definitely be changing that this summer.
Do you ever have neck pain after a long bike ride? I get a stiff neck after about 30 minutes on the bike. I think I will need to get the bike adjusted.
I mean the bike!
The first summer that I started riding a lot, I got neck/shoulder pain after my rides (which were almost always at least two hours long). My more experienced cycling friends told me it would probably go away when I got accustomed to longer rides. Sure enough it did until I got my new gravel bike (which I quickly realized was too small). I’m hoping my newest gravel bike will alleviate that problem. Hopefully, a few adjustments to your bike and gradually increasing your time riding will solve your neck issues.
Thank you, Debbie!
I did some cycling in the past but only to get from point A to B and for some nature experiences, I had a lovely trail through the forest where I lived in Sweden that was very nice for cycling. Where I live now I feel the roads are too unsafe for cycling and I prefer walking. A sport I used to hate but have come to love, is – running! When I tried it in the past I could never enjoy it because of poor fitness levels both strength- and cardio-wise and it was just an awful experience but when I tried it again last autumn I fell in love with it. Now, running is both a nice stress-reliever and a way of challenging myself and both are very important reasons why I keep trying to do it.
How cool that you gave running a second chance and love it this time around! 😀
There was definitely a time when I never thought I’d be a long-distance runner – but now I can’t imagine not running. Interesting how perspectives change, right?
How nice that you and Kim found time to workout together 🙂
Michelle recently posted…Trying to Settle In
It’s cool hearing the number of people who are listing running as the sport they view differently today. I love it!
I’ll have to go with an opposite – I thought I’d love scuba but each time I go diving I get more anxiety doing it! I hope more diving practice before the actual dive will help, but who knows. I’m claustrophobic so it might never be a favorite of mine.
Very interesting! I have three different friends who are huge scuba divers and travel the world for dives. I’ve always thought it would terrify me, though. I applaud you for giving it a try, and hopefully you’ll be able to figure out a way to enjoy it more.
Well for me it was running, LOL! I loathed it all my life . . . until I didn’t.
I’ve actually never enjoyed biking. Except spin or my stationary bike (which is not a spin bike).
I think it’s good when we learn to change things up!
How cool that you gave running a try again and learned to enjoy it. It’s been fun to see how many people have listed running as the sport now embrace.
Love that you and Kim are able to work out virtually together and catch up via FaceTime!
It’s always fun to workout with a friend, even if it has to be virtually.
Another Brilliant Post – Very Creative – Righteous Numbers And Keep That Saddle Between Your Legs
You Rock,
Cheers
Thanks!
Love that picture of you and Kim! I “think” I am older and wiser too but still have way more things to learn. 🙂 I enjoy running in 30-degree weather with a long sleeve top and a jacket as long as there is minimal wind. That is what makes a difference in whether I should wear a thicker jacket or not.
It’s never too old to learn, right?
I had to laugh out loud at your opening paragraph as this was my view of most cyclists, for the longest time! A few rude road cyclists really dictated how I felt about the whole community. But I’ve met several very cheerful cyclists when I’ve been out running on trails PLUS my husband and two children are avid cyclists. Would I ride? I think I’m too scared to do it here – the tarred roads are dangerous, and the mountain bike trails intimidate me! But taking from your example – never say never, right?!
Never say never! 😀