Some improvement...
After my breakfast of two eggs and oatmeal, I got out the door at 9 a.m. It was a little cooler than normal, at 17C and windy, so I put on a long-sleeve shirt under my bright yellow cycling jersey.
Right off the bat, I realized that I was riding better. I could keep a cadence between 85 and 90 rpm during the ride. Before that, getting it to 80 rpm and holding it was difficult.
Before leaving the house, I didn't take any Beta-Alanine as I don't think my body is used to it, and it seemed to put me into a bonk when I used it last. I also wanted to see how my ride would be without it.
Although my final average speed wouldn't show it, I'm stronger. I know this not only from the improved cadence but also because the hills I really, really struggled with in the past two rides, I was able to climb with a little less struggle. There was still struggle, but just less, and it was a notable improvement. The wind was in my face this time when I was climbing those hills.
During the ride, it was obvious to me that I needed to start weight and strength training. My arms, specifically trapezoid muscles, are weak. Part of me thought I should have started weight training three weeks ago, and I'd be three weeks ahead. I just didn't have the motivation. Now I do have it. I need to get stronger so the bike rides are less uncomfortable due to weak muscles.
When I got home, I decided to run off the bike. It was a last-minute call, and I wanted to try out my new running shoes to see if there was any difference.
I call it a run, but to keep my heart rate down, it was really a walk. I probably ran only 3 minutes, max, and walked the rest. But I felt stronger for those minutes I ran, and the shoes seemed to make a big difference. The shoes have much more bounce in the heels than my prior ones.
However, it will take me a while to adjust to the shoes. I noticed they were forcing me to use different muscles, specifically the ones on the sides of my lower legs. About halfway through, I could feel them burning and realized tomorrow's run might be a bit painful.
After the run, I did my regular stretching. It's obvious that my left and right legs are not in alignment. I'm more flexible on the right side than the left, and I think that, too, is contributing to the lower left leg problems. All the more reason I need to strength train.
Post-workout, I have my protein shake and put in some beta-alanine and Glutamine and a banana for a carb. As I sit and write this blog post, I can feel the tingling and get a little tired.
Bike - 1:27:03 - 33.49 km - 23.1 p/km avg pace
Brick Run (primarily walk) - 19:57 - 2.12 km - 9:24 p/km pace
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