Doing Too Much...

I've been running five days a week, swimming twice and playing soccer once a week the last two weeks. Absent from my schedule has been spin class. It's on Thursday mornings and is really tough to wake up for after a late night at soccer on Wednesday nights (not to mention how sore I've been after soccer). I'm desperately waiting for the weather to get nicer so that I can ride outside and not be so reliant on spin.

But, I think I'm doing too much. Once I add biking back in to the mix (this coming week), I think 5 days of running is probably overdoing it. I'm gonna start "counting" my soccer on Wednesday nights as a running day and not worry about it. In fact, if there is a "toughest workout" of the week, it would probably be soccer. So, I'm not feeling too bad about replacing a day of running.

I'm making this decision because my body is already starting to break down and I'm still pretty far from the triathlon. So, I'm gonna do a little preservation over the next 4-5 weeks until soccer is over. Then, I'll amp it back up again to the finish. I don't want to peak to early and I certainly don't want to drag myself to the starting line either.

Two Long (ish) Runs for the Weekend

If you thought this was turning into a pushup blog, you are dead wrong. I'm still running and actually turning the corner on my 5k training. I have two more weeks and then I run my 5k on the 4th of July (Preservation Pottstown 5k). That is the day that I will break 23 minutes and put another daunting PR on my list (or so I hope).

Also, I am going to have my biggest mileage month of the year this month (almost 90 miles). Not a huge number, but a sign that things are moving in the right direction. On top of that, I've been running 5 days a week now for a couple months with no injuries. Previously, pushing to 5 days a week was my breaking point. So... that is good news.

As for the runs that I did this weekend, I did 5 on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. The run on Saturday felt longer than the one on Sunday. It was hot and I didn't feel like being out there at all. The run on Sunday was completely the opposite. My wife (son/daughter to be) and daughter went out on the bike and rode along with me for the 7 miles. That was great! I really enjoyed having them along and it certainly made the run go easier. I hope we do more of that (as the pregnancy permits) in the near future.

Run recap Saturday- 5 miles, 45:56, 9:12 pace (splits- 9:32, 9:11, 9:11, 9:02, 8:58)
Run recap Sunday- 7 miles, 1:06:44, 9:32 pace (splits- 9:51, 9:35, 9:15, 9:18, 9:48, 9:50, 9:06)

So Far, So Bad

I went on my first bike ride into work this morning and it turned out a little less than perfect. I went about 5.5-6 miles and everything was fantastic. I was loving life... The wind was blowing through my hair, the birds were chirping... you get the picture.

Then, it happened.... I got to New Holland Pike and the road seemed to get a lot bumpier. I thought... man, the city really needs to think about fixing these roads. No sooner did that thought go through my head then I realized that I actually had a flat.

Don't get me wrong, I had considered this possibility. But, I didn't think it would happen on the first ride. To make matters worse, I had asked the bike shop to change my tires and tube and they told me that it wasn't necessary.. despite the fact that the bike hadn't been ridden in ten years. On top of that, they slapped a sticker on my bike when they were finished working on it. I'm going in there today and slapping a corporate sticker from where I work on one of their new bikes. You know... We're cool like that.

So... my last visit to Cycle Circle in Lancaster will be over lunch today (just because it's close). Then, I'm never going back to that place again. I'm going to get two tires, two new tubes (and one extra to bring with me) and a tire tool to change my flat when I get them.

This doesn't change my mind about biking to work... just makes me more interested in being prepared for the ride. I've always been one to learn things the hard way anyway. But, I'm still disappointed that I don't have a flawless story to tell at the end of my first ride.

My New Bike (pic)...

Tada!! Note the geeky bike light and blinker on the back and the rack appended to the back tire. Also, a nice kick stand. I have officially made a nice racing bike a clunky commuter bike. I can make anything slow.