Biking and Ellipticating

I did another serious workout today. Started on the elliptical for 30 minutes and did 410 calories, while keeping the strides per minute up around 140. Again it was the interval setting, with resistance of 8 and 12. It was a good sweaty event that seems to me like it should be called ellipticating since it isn’t really running. 

My wife got a terrible side ache just after we started the weights so we came home before we were done. Once we decided she was actually ok, I went for a bike ride to finish the day. I live on a hill so it isn’t the right course for my race. I had to ride up to the top where there is a plateau and zig zag all over the place to add it all up to 12 miles. With so many hills it is a little tougher. I did the ride in 48:25 which is exactly one minute longer than the flat ride I did on vacation. But this was less than an hour after the other workout. I did an hour and 18 minutes of very tough heart rate over 140-150 aerobic working out tonight. This is actually getting close to how much time I will be spending on the course during my triathlon so I am excited I can do so much now.

I averaged just under 15 mph and I found a website calculator that seems to give you some high numbers for things, so I like it. This website says a bike ride of 14-16 mph burns 1032 calories an hour for a clydesdale such as myself anyway, which is just over 800 for the 48 minutes. It also says the elliptical is 1109, but the precor was only telling me it was around 900. I think the bike is a bit more, not less, as the wind helps cool you down and let’s you go at it just a teency bit harder. Another website is very near 1000 if you extrapolate to my weight. The funny thing about this one is all the various descriptions of the exersion on the bike. So apparently, I am not racing, I am only doing vigorous exercise. I don’t qualify as racing until I hit 16 mph. I guess this explains why I will be finishing in last place for the men.

My stevivia showed up today so I am going to go make my “famous” chai tea. Famous in my own mind, I just love the stuff. So I gotta run now.

Swimming and Biking on Vacation

I finally got to the triathlon training for the bike. I don’t think I need so much of that which is why I am working so much on swimming. I did the full 12 miles which is the length of my sprint triathlon. I did it in 47:25. I got a bike computer which is really handy to tell how far, fast, and long and all at the touch of a button.  The course was flat with only a 2-3 changes of elevation more than 40 ft. This is an average speed of just over 15 mph, so I am very happy with this result. I can do the same anytime as it was no extraordinary feet or endurance for me. The bike is my best leg, I still need to get up to the running distance.

The factor that makes the bike the easiest is that I go out 6 miles and then back. The first 3 and 6 miles are very easy and once you get there you have no option but to ride back. You might ebb and flow on the enthusiasm for going all out, but there is nothing to do but keep going. The second wind eventually comes and you are off again. The swimming pool laps and the treadmill test the will more; a whole lot more. I need to find a good spot to run 1.5 miles so I can “stick” myself the same way. I just need enough willpower and energy to get myself half way there.

I managed to swim 3 times this week. I started tracking my time to get to 500 yards total, then I do 100 more as my timed 100. I am going to quit timing the other distances, as they just are too short to help me. I need to know how long it takes me to do 500 yards and how tired I am when done. Busting my lungs for a good time on 25 and 50 yards just does so little good at this point, cause I can’t keep up my swimming any longer at my slower pace anywayif I try to swim farther which is difficult enough. So I still rest between pairs of laps but it is for a lot shorter time with the clock ticking. I find that I switch to the back stroke occasionally just to keep moving while I breathe. I finished my swimming in 26 minutes, 19:30 and 20:15 for the three times.  

As for the flip turn, yeah right. I can’t even do the open turn correctly cause I am too tired when I get to the wall. The same link at the bottom of my post on swimming technique shows the proper open turn as well as the flip turn and other swimming instructional videos.

Taking Sugar to the Moon

I did my first run, it was hard. It was probably not truly considered running, but if you heard the thunderous sound that was coming from the room I have my treadmill in you might be willing to to agree that I at least stampeded for 1 mile in 12:19.

It was kind of funny cause I got myself confused on the distance and I was starting to consider dropping the speed down cause I though I had 1 1/2 laps left, but I actually had a half a lap left so I sped it up. How much of this stuff is in my head anyway? I can’t accurately measure my heart rate when running at home, but I bet I got it up to what is considered 100% for my age if not more at some point there. I will have to take this running stuff slow at first cause I was feeling it in my shins with just this little bit. But don’t worry about me, there is little chance I will spontaneously jump up and run 5 miles right now anyway.

It sure felt good. I felt it in my stomach muscles which I thought was weird. I think it was cause I had eaten too recently that I had trouble, but I still felt it in my muscles this morning so it wasn’t only that. To which I was happy to find that I got down to 214.8. I managed to avoid the late night eating, with three close calls.

I am doing the weights again tonight, I think I will try to get my bike ride in here so I can get all my stats figured out. I am sure you saw my new image as a banner, I am going to try and update it with my current stats each time I reach better numbers and have a few minutes.

It is amazing how the workouts we do add up to great things over time. My dad, who passed away last year, did something I thought was pretty cool with his exercise bike. He would keep track of all the miles and as they added up he would put where he was on a tour of the US. I don’t think he went any great distances on a given day, but he had so many of them he was on his second tour of the US.

I don’t know if I have the time or inclination to keep good enough records but would it be fun to do some of these things:

1. “Walk” 500 miles (if you like the Proclaimers)
2. “Run” the Indy 500
3. “Bike” from the north pole to the south pole
4. “Swim” the Amazon river
5. “Lift” a 10 pound bag of sugar to the moon

Anyone else got an idea?