Training Log Archive: PG

Another cool and very windy day. Cave Hill loop counterclockwise. Seemed like hard work but the heart rate indicates otherwise.

Another minimal jog, left butt not happy at all.

Event: WCOC Hurd State Park
 

In the first set of hills west of the valley. Very windy, so drove over to Whately to start to skip what I guessed would be the worst of it. Really nice day, actually, the colors have been spectacular this month.

A day when, in the past, I probably wouldn't have ventured out on the bike, a little cool (low 50s), wind about 20 mph gusting to ?, but times change and I expect I'll venture out in a good bit colder weather in the next couple of months. A lot of it is just having the right state of mind.

To Turners Falls and back. Low 50s, N wind, got out (and back) just before the rain came. :-)

Another jogging attempt. Half mile out, rest, half mile back. Rather feeble. Biking sure doesn't help much in training for running.

Down to Hatfield and back, virtually flat. Which makes it harder in a way because you have to keep pedaling the whole time. Light SE breeze.

Legs still on the tired side.

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A little more from Monday's ride before I forget:

-- Not much wildlife. Two flocks of turkeys, 6 and 10-12, a pileated woodpecker that flew right over me squawking away, a couple of raccoons on the road that weren't going anywhere until the highway department came along to collect them, and a few small snakes and frogs in a similar condition. No bear, no moose. Barked at by a few dogs but none chased me.

-- Very pretty. The fall colors were at their best. The only place traffic was bad was on route 20 towards the end, but there was a nice shoulder. Lots of places I'd never been before.

-- I spent some time studying the route, trying to memorize as much of it as I could, but I should have spent more time. Meaning, I knew where the big hills were, and about how big they were, but some of the medium-sized ones caught me by surprise. There were a few times in the last 30 miles when I cussed a few times, having just come around a corner and spotted a hill I wasn't expecting.

I had the cue sheet with me, looked at it a few times to see what the distance was to the next turn, and that was helpful just so I didn't have to worry. But I should have marked the climbs on it (the vertical). I think I did that once on a century ride and was glad I did. It just seems to make it easier if you know what's coming.

Legs were sore and tired yesterday, definitely better today though not to the extent I was feeling ambitious. Short and flat ride to check a couple of the local (avian) watering holes.

Two different cars took runs at me, unintentionally by all appearances. Fortunately my defensive riding was tuned in enough that I could take evasive action without it being too close a call, but I really need to be even more alert all the time, just assume that every car is going to doing something stupid. If you get hit, it's not much of a comfort that it was the other person's fault.

Things are really looking up (at least according the The Onion's version of my horoscope) --