Cycling: sleep. Blessed sleep.

I made an executive decision this morning sleep in.

Ocean swim/run: “gee, that was swell.”

I write this already bone tired at 10 am. Got up at 5am for the ocean speed circuit, but had to walk the dogs first since the wife is out of town. That put me slightly behind for the morning and I didn’t get to the parking lot until almost 6:30. Barely a line for the meter, but it meant I was pulling on my swim cap just as the pack was about to head out for the start. To make things more interesting, a swell came in from a storm causing bigger than usual waves. I elbow bumped Brian as I tossed down my stuff and barely had a chance to look at the ocean before we turned towards the beach and made our way in.

Cycling: one HIIT wonder.

Okay, so I wasn’t completely done with HIIT puns. Will I ever? Who knows. I managed to get in a fast 40 minute HIIT session today, changing things up by moving to 2 minute sprint / rest sessions. Harder, and maybe even better. I was reading Brian Melekian’s blog today and laughing about his competitive streak. I, too, find myself targeting other riders and runners and pushing harder to try and bury them. Difference is that Brian actually CAN.

Cycling: ’cause I’m long, and I’m strong, and I’m down to get the friction on.

To quote Sir Mix-A-Lot, that is. According to The Bugle, he’s now Lord Mix-A-Lot since inheriting his father’s estates. How I pined for The Butcher while away! A whole five days without a bike ride! I told a little lie on my outgoing voicemail for Monday and let people think I was stuck in a client’s basement for the morning. The truth is I was exulting in my first long ride in over a week, mashing my way up PCH, giddy to be riding again.

Running: knee troubles

My second day in Bethesda was another run, this time heading towards D.C. More hills to deal with, and less shoulder on the road. From where my parents live if you turn right towards Bethesda the houses get bigger and nicer. If you turn left, they get older, closer together, and closer to the road. The hills also get longer, which was nice because I have to work on my hill running. And biking. Thankfully there’s no salmon run in triathlon so I can leave the uphill swimming to the fish.

Running: pounding pavement on foreign soil.

Friday was spent in transit back to Bethesda, MD and I’m going to write a long article today about bike tires and tubes as soon as I do the research for the piece. (This is my own way of throwing down the gauntlet to myself. Challenge accepted, rogue!) Going back east to visit my parents is always a mixed bag. Bethesda/DC has never been my “home” because I left for college at the same time my parents moved into their first house together. Home for me is here in Los Angeles, because it is where I feel most safe, comfortable, and in control. Anywhere else is foreign soil.

Cycling: give it some gas!

And by “gas” I mean both out the booty and metaphorically in the legs.

Ocean swim & run brick: endorphins are our friends!

Running never got me high. The two years I spent gearing up to and running marathons were fun and rewarding, but I never got the fabled “runner’s high” that everyone seemed to be talking about. Around mile 11 things got easier, strangely, but I’d never call it “high”. More like, “less sucky”. Miles 18+ were interesting from a detached pride perspective, just knowing that I could run that far without dying. But after a number of those runs watching my friends with giddy, euphoric faces and me with my tight groin and salty shirt there was clearly something missing. Then I discovered triathlon, rediscovered cycling, and learned how to swim.

Cycling: I’ve run out of witty HIIT puns.

There are certainly loads of them, to be sure, but they’ve been used so often I ought to just lay off. Today’s ride was good and fast with great weather and solid performance from the old peg legs. Yesterday I did an hour with Jill focusing on back bends and stretching out the hard to reach piriformis and iliacus muscles. Cycling, running, and swimming all antagonize the muscles in one axis of movement. The benefits of yoga and stretching help to balance these movements. It’s also really painful sometimes!

Swimming: drill, drill, drill.

Today was a pool swim day, taking a risk in the pool after a summer weekend. Gladly it was not filled with human scum and slough. I did swim drills. 10 lap warmup followed by 5 laps with the swim paddles and pull buoy, 5 with the kickboard, 5 with the paddles again, another five freestyle, and then two more backstroke to unwind the shoulders. It took just over half an hour, and I definitely feel the difference in how the paddles correct my stroke and work my shoulders. The kickboard is also helping to strengthen my back by forcing me to arc beyond my incorrect proprioception of where my legs should be.