Milestones…

… are every where in our lives.

I hit some pretty big ones this week and I’m not done yet.

Unfortunately, the weather has been less than cooperative, so I’ve done my mileage on the stationary bike indoors.  The good part about that is it’s given me the opportunity to catch up on some of my Netflix addictions. BORGIA, Drop Dead Diva, Grateful Dead: Anthem to Beauty, and Arrested Development. [I know, I’m slow…]

While you might think that’s a LOT of neflix-ing, it was also a LOT of riding.  In fact – I’ve put up 152.5 miles for the month of June. [38.2 this week and I’ve got to get in at least 12.25 more miles before June 30th.]

Including my LONGEST RIDE [22.59 MILES] since my last bike race June 16, 2012.

All inclusive with running/walking/biking – I have put up over 900 miles since I began this journey in March of 2011.

That’s to Grandma’s house and back!!

Literally. She lives in New York…

Busy Training Week…

… and I’m proud to say, most of it was outdoors and on my REAL bike!

But I got in a quick 5.25 MILES ON MY NEW STATIONARY BIKE. Right after I was trying to move it up the stairs into the house and it slid backwards and hit me in the head. OUCH. At least it was only my head.

I’m somewhere between Week Four and Week Five of training. I worked on adding up the Week Five short distances [22.5 miles total] 6.81 MILES, 8.84 MILES, and 3.05 MILES TOTALING: 23.95 miles for Week Five.

And the Week Four long ride: 20.95 MILES.

Week Four is officially in the books [40.5 miles], I’m working on Week Five [45 miles] and trying to fit in a long ride [22.5 miles] between the horrendously Hot/Humid Summer weather and a rehearsal/travel schedule.

My goal is this – try to put up the short mileage on the stationary bike while watching dvd’s, Netflix and running lines.  The long mileage, I feel like it needs to be outdoor real-time on the bike.

I put up 41.3 biking miles last week…

I’m Not Sure…

… but for the most part, June 2013 is shaping up to be a banner month.

I always love a good challenge. This HALF CENTURY is no different – let’s meet this HEAD ON and try to finish it in style.

Okay, at my age? I’ll just settle for finishing with all my body parts in tact. Or at least as much in tact as I can keep them these days.

Already for June – I have already racked up 73.02 training miles!  Not as many outside on the trail as I would like – but hoping more since I finally had the GEAR CABLE FIXED at PRO BIKES in the SOUTH HILLS earlier this week.

Today’s quick ride on the stationary bike at the gym was MY FASTEST 7.01 MILES YET!

I still need to finish the run of this production weekend for NUNSENSE and then I’m hoping to get my Week Four long ride of 20 miles in the books.

One way or another, I’m going to keep this training moving forward…

It’s a Work…

…in progress.

I’m a little behind on Week Three Training because of the repair that needs to happen on my bike.

Last week, I decided to help ease the back strain of my mountain bike handlebars and modify them to cruisers. This will help me sit in a more upright position when riding.

It was really an easy process and took minutes.

Even with the fact that I’d put the hand brakes on backwards and needed to reverse them, it was an easy process.

Replacing the torn strap of my bike rack – also simple.

These were all things I could do with my limited ‘repair’ skills. I just needed to find the ‘minutes’ to do them.

Until I went to lift my bike to the bike rack on my car, turned the handle bars with too much torque on the gear cable and busted it. [It’s the one on the left that is busted.]

I’m smart – but I also know my frustration levels can be off the charts. I’m taking the bike to a repair shop to fix the gear cable.  Otherwise, I’m READY to ride!!

Which finds me back at the gym on the stationary bike until I can get to the bike repair. [It’s ride-able, I just have long mileage to put up and there’s a HUGE difference between riding over 10 miles and having to WALK over TEN MILES pushing your broken BIKE.]

I finished up WEEK THREE - DAY THREE: 17.53 MILES.

Bring on Week Four!!

When in Doubt…

… pedal it out.

As much as I enjoy riding outside on the trail, I have been satisfied with the challenge of working on dialogue for NUNSENSE while I put in my weekly mileage.

You wouldn’t think it would keep me interested, but talk about using BOTH sides of my brain?

More than anything, I think it keeps my brain occupied so that I’m not looking every two seconds to check my speed or mileage.

“How many more miles? Too many!”

Today was one of Week Three’s SHORT RIDES 9.53 MILES.

I would love to be able to get the long ride [17.5 miles] in on the trail – but my bike needs some modifications [new handlebars] and I have to replace a strap on my bike rack. This week being production week – I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

In which case, I’ll be back at the gym racking up some more mileage…

Long Overdue Update…

… I’m back to training for the TWO RIVERS CENTURY bike race in Kankakee, Illinois. 

I ended up with a hamstring injury [bowling] and unable to complete my goal of doing the 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon Relay with my team.

Two injuries in less than 8 months that have sidelined me from running, I thought perhaps it was time for me to seriously consider ‘retiring’ from road racing.

No. That doesn’t mean that I’ll give up running. It simply means that when I feel like running, I will go do a mile or two. Or even three. But I won’t train on a regular basis to compete.

I don’t know how I feel about it – other than to say: I feel better saying I’m ‘retired’ from racing than having to sell my racing bib to someone else and watch THEM complete MY race.

So – I’m doing something  a little less stressful on my body. Biking.

I rode a 30 MILE BIKE RACE last June with little or NO training. I’m thinking of working on a TEN WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM to work up to a Half Century [50 miles].

This is Week Two of Training for me and so far, I have completed it:

8.5 MILES [DAY ONE]

9.01 MILES [DAY TWO]

And my long ride for the week. 15.01 MILES [DAY THREE]

I’m happy to say, that all of these rides were completed on the stationary bike at the gym while I was busy learning lines for NUNSENSE.

May as well put that multi-tasking ability to good use!