Humbled by Hills

Maybe you will all get sick of me talking about hills, but in my just over 2 weeks as a central massachusettian, I am still getting used to them! However, I am starting to embrace the challenge, and will myself up them each time they get in my way. I have reverted back to sheer terror on the steep bike downhills, however. Hopefully I'll figure out how to be less afraid and use the downhills to my advantage!

When I last wrote, I had not yet started work, and had been on a very spotty workout schedule. After that, I picked it back up, and got in a solid workout week! It started Tuesday with a run in the AM. My task was half mile repeats at easy, medium and hard. I stressed out about this a little, because I haven't yet found a track. I decided that my apartment complex parking lot would have to do, and charted out a half mile loop, so that each time the gradient would be the same, and my E,M, H would at least be self consistent. It worked out great, and I felt good kicking off my week pushing myself with this tough workout!

After work, I went on a 20 mile ride with a coworker and her friend. I was super excited for a few reasons: I hadn't felt comfortable going out on local roads with my bike, so I was happy to have buddies, I am of course looking for new friends (both to exercise with and to hang out with) and they promised me ice cream at mile 15. Not a bad deal! I blindly followed on hilly roads I had never seen before through towns I hadn't ever heard of. We passed one grassy field with a heart lawn-mowered out and 2 lawn chairs facing the view (I will maybe take a picture next time if I feel like stopping), and on to the Wachusett (sp?) Reservoir, where I stopped to take a picture for the blog while they questioned "you want a picture of this because..." I felt like it had been too long since I've shared a picture on here!

Wachusett Reservoir

Wednesday and Friday I hit up the warm Y pool, and Thursday I did a trainer ride followed by a 30 min run. Not a bad way to end the first work week.

Saturday I had to do a 2.5 hour bike ride, and was searching for buddies. I definitely did not want to do that on the trainer, plus i knew a trainer ride was coming sunday with Irene. I went to a group ride at a local bike shop. They had the 40 mile fast group and the 30 ish mile slow group. I wanted to do the 40 miles, around the reservoir from my only other outdoor local ride, but I couldn't keep up with all of these rock star mostly men, and elected to catch up with the slower group for the 2nd half of the ride. We passed by this lovely little body of water (complete with painful hill climb afterwards).

Rocky Pond, I think.

after the 2 hours with the group, I had to do another half hour. The weather was starting to get dreary, and I almost quit there, but then remembered that I eventually have to hit that 56 miles, so no reason to slack now. The only crappy part was that the bike shop, and the end of the route, was on a busy route, so I pedaled my way through some parking lots to get to some side streets, and weaved up and down a few cul-de-sacs until my 30 min were up, then returned to the bike shop by walking my bike down the 'wrong' side of the route, and biking through the parking lots. Not the most desirable/fun 30 min, but at least I logged the extra time. I plan on studying the garmin readout so that I can actually do a more significant supplement to next week's ride!

Sunday was Irene. After my 1 hour easy trainer ride, and deciding to postpone my 90 min run for dryer, less windy conditions, I parked myself on the couch for an afternoon of knitting and reading by sunlight. Here is how the kitties enjoyed Irene:

snoozing twin kitties!

I went to bed at 9, when it was dark and my computer battery died, and headed out for my 90 min run bright and early. I did 10 miles in the hills and dodging broken branches in the lovely post hurricane/tropical storm weather.

Running the risk of making this post too long that no one will ever read it, I will add one more workout anecdote from today before drawing it to a close with a promise to write more frequently and less wordily. This week the pool at 'my' Y was closed for maintenance, so I ventured into Worcester and used a pool at a lovely Y on a little lake. The workout included 2 x 600, 2nd faster than the first. I eased into the first 600 at a reasonable pace, looked at my watched, and wondered, did I do an extra lap? It was about 1 minute slower than what I had expected...I vowed to count the next 12 laps more diligently and swam a little faster, knocking 42 s off my time, but still came up with a total time slower than my usual 'easy' pace for such a distance. Confused, I began the 2 x 400, and had similar results. I started to wonder, is this pool 25 m instead of yd? The lifeguard confirmed it was yds, but another swimmer adamently disagreed saying he was certain it was longer. I haven't found anything in writing, but I am 99% sure this pool is long. Good for longer swims, and now, better for my self esteem!

Ok, longest post ever. maybe I should have broken this up into 2...but my first week of work was complemented by getting back into the diligent swing of regular working out and i feel great for it! And now i vow to be better at posting more frequently, adding more pictures, and staying motivated because there are less than 2 months left before Austin!