5/29: 2.0 mi; 15'36"; 7'44" avg. pace
6/12: 3.1 mi; 23'46"; 7'36" avg. pace
6/19: 3.1 mi; 23'33"; 7'32" avg. pace
Cycling
5/15: 11.2 mi; 0:57:46; 11.6 mph; 608 ft. climbed
5/19: 14.3 mi; 0:53:54; 16.0 mph; 696 ft. climbed
5/20: 21.2 mi; 1:15:39; 16.9 mph; flat
5/22: 28.7 mi; 1:48:32; 15.9 mph; flat
6/01: 11.5 mi; 0:44:15; 15.6 mph; flat
6/10: 14.2 mi; 0:54:18; 15.8 mph; 805 ft. climbed
6/17: 14.3 mi; 0:54:50; 15.7 mph; 805 ft. climbed
It has been a busy end to my Spring workout season. As you can tell, my running has slacked off from the frequency I had during the winter. A combination of increased cycling and golfing activity has cut into my 5k training program. However, despite that break in focus, my running times are still solid. I have been running near 7'30" per mile in the Spring heat, with temperatures hitting 90 degrees, so I am fairly pleased with keeping that shape. I will try to refocus on the training program proper, with interval runs and hill runs, but it would help to have a few races to motivate that activity. Ashley and I will be running a 4-miler on July 4th, 'cause ya know, America. But after that we do not have future races planned.
Meanwhile, cycling activity and form has blossomed this season. On May 15, I posted my second best time on the Job Corps climb (10:41). Then, on the May 19, I went for a ride before a storm system passed through and managed to set a PR on Mount Alpha to Whispering Woods (14:15) and the shorter segment of Alpha to Beta Lane (7:03). The next two rides I tried to expand on my distance a little and rode over 20 miles both times. The ride on May 22 saw me puncture a back tire within 100 meters of my house - certainly a bummer, but I could have been stranded in worse places. My bike felt a little sluggish after that, as I replaced some old brake pads and may have put the chain back on the cassette in the wrong gear. Still, I managed to figure something out and get back to the climbing by the middle of June. I revisited Alpha on June 10 and set new PRs for both segments again! I did the same route a week later and lowered my best time on Mount Alpha to Beta Lane to 6:47.
I think I have figured out how to successfully ride hills and improve my times. I used to pick spots on a climb where I would stand up on the pedals to increase my speed. Now, I can tell how that takes a whole lot of energy out of me. It seems I am much faster riding a consistently faster pace for an entire hill section. My muscles are in good enough shape that I can ride Alpha without using my easiest gear, despite 8%-10% inclines. Basically, I am kind of excited about this.
July should feature plenty more cycling - it will be Tour de France month, after all. I will certainly mix in some running with a few beach runs at the end of the month. And I look forward to my first race in a few months on the Fourth of July. I will recap all that and maybe more at the end of next month.
