Yesterday I ran 10 miles and today I followed it up with another 13. No, I haven’t completely lost my mind. Today’s outing was on my bike.
All this talk about triathlons and biking got me intrigued. Not enough to sign up for a tri, but this morning I did reintroduce myself to my bicycle. Yes, there literally were cobwebs down by the pedals. And the frame was a bit dusty. I might have taken it out once in the spring, but otherwise this was the maiden voyage of the season. Pathetic.
The time required for a bike workout has been one of the biggest obstacles. I started thinking last night about sneaking away for a ride today. This morning I whipped up a batch of pancakes, mixed-fruit topping and sausage for Mrs. Oz and the Ozlings. Hoping that might have bought a little goodwill from the family and a morning pass out of the house, I then pumped up the tires, strapped on my helmet and cruised away.
It felt great. In addition to the enjoyment from soaking up some rays and feeling the breeze on my face, this seemed to be the best stretching regime I have tried in a long time. As I pedaled down, sometimes I would keep my leg extended and then drop my foot for an extra stretch of my calf and Achilles while I coasted. How’s that for multi-tasking?
I wound my way over to a trail running through Kansas City’s Waldo and Brookside neighborhoods. The Trolley Trail took me north to the Nelson Atkins Museum and its semi-bizarre outdoor sculptures in the shape of giant badminton shuttlecocks.
Sharing the trail with walkers – both of the two-legged and four-legged variety – runners and a few other bikers was a new experience. I don’t exactly have what you would call fast closing speed while running so a flopping of my feet a bit louder than usually tends to offer plenty of warning to others as I approach. On the bike, though, as I approached someone from behind I would call out a calm “On your left.” Many of the walkers and runners had iPod’s crammed into their ears and were oblivious to my presence. A few dog owners continued to let Fido roam widely on the leash, creating a fun obstacle for me to dodge. One walker offered a “good morning” as I passed and another thanked me for the alert, saying he wished more bikers would do the same. Too bad trail courtesy is in such short supply.
I’ll be curious to see how my legs feel in the morning. I logged 13 miles in a little over an hour. Didn't really push the pace, but I worked it a bit on some of the uphills. I probably will be up for the easy three miler called for on the schedule in the morning, though I might rest the legs if they are feeling zapped.
All this talk about triathlons and biking got me intrigued. Not enough to sign up for a tri, but this morning I did reintroduce myself to my bicycle. Yes, there literally were cobwebs down by the pedals. And the frame was a bit dusty. I might have taken it out once in the spring, but otherwise this was the maiden voyage of the season. Pathetic.
The time required for a bike workout has been one of the biggest obstacles. I started thinking last night about sneaking away for a ride today. This morning I whipped up a batch of pancakes, mixed-fruit topping and sausage for Mrs. Oz and the Ozlings. Hoping that might have bought a little goodwill from the family and a morning pass out of the house, I then pumped up the tires, strapped on my helmet and cruised away.
It felt great. In addition to the enjoyment from soaking up some rays and feeling the breeze on my face, this seemed to be the best stretching regime I have tried in a long time. As I pedaled down, sometimes I would keep my leg extended and then drop my foot for an extra stretch of my calf and Achilles while I coasted. How’s that for multi-tasking?
I wound my way over to a trail running through Kansas City’s Waldo and Brookside neighborhoods. The Trolley Trail took me north to the Nelson Atkins Museum and its semi-bizarre outdoor sculptures in the shape of giant badminton shuttlecocks.
Sharing the trail with walkers – both of the two-legged and four-legged variety – runners and a few other bikers was a new experience. I don’t exactly have what you would call fast closing speed while running so a flopping of my feet a bit louder than usually tends to offer plenty of warning to others as I approach. On the bike, though, as I approached someone from behind I would call out a calm “On your left.” Many of the walkers and runners had iPod’s crammed into their ears and were oblivious to my presence. A few dog owners continued to let Fido roam widely on the leash, creating a fun obstacle for me to dodge. One walker offered a “good morning” as I passed and another thanked me for the alert, saying he wished more bikers would do the same. Too bad trail courtesy is in such short supply.
I’ll be curious to see how my legs feel in the morning. I logged 13 miles in a little over an hour. Didn't really push the pace, but I worked it a bit on some of the uphills. I probably will be up for the easy three miler called for on the schedule in the morning, though I might rest the legs if they are feeling zapped.
2 comments:
I've always thought that a nice bike ride is a great way to shake out the legs after long run day!
You are so right. Just got back from a short run this morning. I was shocked at how good I felt after doing so much over the weekend.
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