I know I got a lot out of the base phase, and this is by far the best I've ever done at executing base training properly. But I am excited to graduate to the next phase and add some speedwork.
As predicted, I didn't have time to do the run heartrate zone test Friday, so instead, I warmed up then ran 2 miles as fast as I could. The first mile was at 8:11 and the second mile was at 7:55. Seeing as I haven't done any running faster than 10 minute pace since October, I was happy to hit these numbers. All my base runs have been 10:30 to 11:20 pace, with one particular zone 1 run at slower than 12. It felt WONDERFUL to get the legs moving again. I'm really looking forward to working on speed later in the season.
Today marked the end of recovery week. I did a 2 hour solo ride and finally explored Devil's Backbone Road. When I showed Sophie this picture, she said, "You rode there? Mom, don't ride there. It's dangerous. Look at the name!"
IT. WAS. AWESOME. I love riding through the country and the farmlands. I actually stopped to take a couple of pictures. This friendly dog greeted me at (appropriately enough) Dog Leg Road.
Of course, I saw about a dozen roads that just need to be explored, but they'll have to wait for another day.
Today was my first outdoor ride since my bike fitting. The bike felt great. My saddle felt much more comfortable today, and my hips felt like they had so much room - the flexors weren't all crunched up. And no knee pain!
My main goal today was to keep my heartrate low, so I made myself go incredibly slowly up the 13 thousand hills I encountered. At one point I had to laugh when my speedometer read "6.7mph." How slowly can one go without falling over (when not on a track bike)?
I felt fantastic when I finished. The combination of a 50% reduction in distance from the past two weeks, the new bike fit, and the very easy ride made my legs feel downright springy when I finished. I actually wanted to go for a run afterward. (But I didn't - the time for that is coming!)
Next week brings two new additions: a third weekly swim (Thursday) and a run after my long ride (a.k.a. a brick workout). I'm feeling good and am looking forward to the challenge. What will make this week difficult, though, is that JC will be out of town for a week. I'll have to stick to a tight schedule if I'm going to fit everything in. But, really, how hard could it be?
