#10 Cycling

Hey,

Last week I decided to start riding my bicycle on the weekends for fun. I did a lot of riding when I was in high school, but I stopped in college because I wanted to devote more time to orchestra. Since I can’t do that anymore, I’m going back to cycling to give me something to do to get away from my studies. I can’t go all out because of my ankle injury from running. Cycling doesn’t bother it too much, but it still puts enough stress on it such that I still need to take it easy while it heals.

12.September.2009

18.9 Miles

This was my first time out, so I spent about half my time meandering around campus, and then I did a little exploring and went west on RR 2222 for a few miles, and then decided to go back.

20.September.2009

25.6 Miles

I went directly to RR 2222 this time, and I really like the road because of its bends and inclines. It’s a mountainous highway, so sometimes the cars drive really fast, and I got a few honks today which may or may not be a bad thing. I’m not really sure whether the drivers are trying to warn me that they’re coming around the bend, or if they simply want me to get out of the way. Anyways, the drivers here seem a little more cautious than the drivers in Houston, and they don’t go as fast, which is a good thing. Overall, I think Austin is a pretty bike friendly place. I was pretty sure of where I was going since I had studied a map ahead of time, but I wasn’t sure if I could make it back the way I came because it was all uphill. So I kept going until I came across another cyclist who happened to be a professor at my school. She gave me an alternate route so I went eastward down Spicewood Springs. There was a really steep hill and I almost made it up, but I had to give up about 20 ft. from the top! I went off of the road panting and I had to rest for about 20 minutes until I could get back on. I took an easy pace back on Shoal Creek until I reached the campus area. Since I had arrived earlier than expected, I just meandered around west and north campus until I hit 25 miles, then headed back home.

25.September.2009

35.1 Miles

Today I rode the Dam Loop! There’s an article in the Austin-American Statesman right here: http://www.statesman.com/search/content/health/fitcity/05/053004.html

The first section consisted of rolling hills that were very difficult. The rest of the ride however, wasn’t as hard. I did run out of liquid and I forgot to bring food along the way so I pretty much hit the wall after 25 miles. After a 10 minute break, I took it easy the rest of the way home. I was pretty surprised that with all the hills, my speed (15 mph) was faster than that of last time, even with the added distance. I don’t want to push myself too hard, so I’ll probably keep the same milage for another month or so, and if I feel good I’ll increase it later.

03.October.2009

45 Miles

I did the dam loop again today, but the only reason why I increased my mileage was that I missed a turn off of 620 and didn’t realize I had been going in the wrong direction until I was in a different city. So I had to turn around which added about 10 miles to my ride. The good thing is, I know that I can do at least 45 miles. I’m really tired though, so I’m not sure if I’ll do that much next weekend.

10.October.2009

35.7 Miles

After a month of increases, I decided to take it easy today and I did the Dam Loop again at a moderate pace. I also brought a friend along to pace me. So, next time I’ll try to do the hills on Mesa Dr. for some extra mileage.

17.October.2009

50.5 Miles

I probably should have thought twice before making such a drastic increase in mileage, but anyways, I did the Dam Loop again, except I left from my apartment instead of from the park next to the loop. The hills on Mesa Dr. are TOUGH. I was able to make it up on the way there because my legs were fresh…it’s definitely a few kilometers of straight climbing. On the way back I was so tired I had to stop and rest a while before continuing. Next time, I aim not to do that so much.

24.October.2009

61.5 Miles

This is defnitely the furthest I’ve gone alone (longest ride with other people was 100 mi.). I’m thinking about changing how I rate my performance by using time instead of distance. Anyways, the best way to rate performance is to use an abundance of information, especially power output and heart rate, but those stats require some expensive equipment! Anyways next week is gonna be a killer 70 miles! After that, I’ll ease up and start the easy phase of the next periodization cycle.

30.October.2009

70.0 Miles

This ride took a lot longer than I anticipated, and it started to get dark so it was pretty scary on the way back. Nevertheless, this is a personal best with respect to solo distance, and I also made a speed record as well (51.4 mph).

7.November.2009

45.6 Miles

I tried to take it easy this time so  I went exploring out east. However, the hills out there were almost as hard as the ones out west! They weren’t as long or steep, but there were a lot more of them making for an equally demanding ride.