Of Mice and Marathons

PM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix -3). 190W. HR 143.

Felt pretty good. HR-to-power ratio was decent. We had a pretty good day at home with the boys. We got some snow.

PM: 2 hours on the fatbike @ Orion Oaks. HR 158.

Conditions were slower than I hoped, so it was kind of a slog in places. But the conditions should improve over the next few days with some packing down I think. I am not sure if I will back out during the week as most of my outdoor rides will likely be back on the weekends, with many weeks likely inside. The fatbike segment race series starts this week, so I am looking forward to that. Tried to find some studded tires, but they seem to be all out everywhere I look (at least for the particular tire combination I need.

Up and down day mentally. I think mostly just impending semester stress. Headed to be early tonight to get myself well rested. 

The winter fatbike series started today, though the segement was released only in the evening. By the time get back out I imagine the roads will be all ice.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 77W. HR 98.

Recovery ride, which seems easier to do on Zwift, but could probably just take TrainerRoad workouts and take it out of ERG mode.

Did some light prep for coursework on Wednesday. Decent day overall, slightly irritable, but not overly anxious as I recall. 

AM/Lunch: 3 miles on the treadmill. HR 132.

Felt good to just really plod. 

+ Ancillary work.

Did pullups and pushups between doing some hip and core work. It was a productive 20' session.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Pettit). 170W. HR 141.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 142W. HR 134. 

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer (Townsend). 170W. HR 137.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 155W. HR 135.

Rode through a London tube station. It's a neat game/exercise interface. Watched CNN for a bit before turning to some cooking shows. We got a dusting of snow. Still going back and forth about doing the segment. I might do it tomorrow in the morning or maybe the afternoon when the boys are at their friends. 

AM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix -3). 190W. HR 144.

The boys went over to our friends' for a little while in the afternoon. 

PM: 90' on the fat bike. HR 172.

Today was the right choice to do the first segment in the winter fat bike race series. Unfortunately, everyone was out and everyone was passing me. Good to see a few people I knew. 

The roads were in very solid shape, so I rode there. It was an insanely hilly segment. My buddy Mike passed me and told me my tire was low, which I knew. It seemed to get worse, so I stopped and hit it with some CO2, which apprently is something you are supposed to do in the winter (I missed that physics lesson I guess). I used my small hand pump but nothing seemd to work. I had a tube but was done for the day. Called Megan and she loaded up the boys. This is why I don't ride outside that much. Oh well. I was starting to get very cold and was starting to get pretty out of it by the time she got there. 

I managed to finish the segment, which I thought I missed, but paid huge time penalties for stoppage. 

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer (Andrews -1). 164W. HR 135.

PM: 4.4 miles in 40' (9:11). HR 158.

Treadmill seemed to work fine. Forced myself to run as I was not feeling the day, but felt good during and after.

5' each @ 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 6.0 (all @ 2% incline)

AM: 4.4 miles in 40' on the treadmill (9:09) HR 151.

Megan has a synchronous class on Tuesdays, so I did a run in the morning instead of a ride to save time. Same session as yesterday at a good deal easier effort.

5' each @ 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 6.0 (all @ 2% incline).

As long as the treadmill seems to be working I am going to keep runnign days on Monday and Thursday for now, and likely a short on on Tuesdays as time allows. I'll add 5' each week and extend it out until I hit 80' twice a week and keep it there. Right now the treadmill at a moderate pace is helping me focus on running. It's brutually cold outside anyway.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Pioneer). 208W. HR 148.

This was a very efficient hour. HR stayed quite low. I will start midweek intervals in about three weeks, so I did a steady/moderate hour just to see what things would look like.

The boys are good. I think they have 3-4 (or more) teeth coming in join the first round. Definitely starting to get more toddlerish.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Beech). 184W. HR 135.

Bars dropped during the ride. I tried to tighten the lever on the cam lock and snapped it off. I was not please but should have seen it coming. Ran to the hardward store to pick up a bolt set up. Not thrilled. Apparently the slippage is a known problem and Wahoo has some weird, drawn out overnight settling process for it.

PM: 4.4 miles in 40' on the treadmill (8:58). HR 154. 

5' each @ 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0. 7.5, 7.0. Did some strides in the last 10' around 9-10+ MPH

iFit console has been buggy and apparently has been shutting off on Megan. We think it might be a Wi-Fi issue as we have a lot of devices connected and the Wi-Fi signal is not full strength. Just more crap to go wrong.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Bald Knob). 181W. HR 140.

My bolt setup worked, but not completely. Wahoo is sending me a new clamp, but if my re-reworked setup works, I'll just put it in the parts bin.

Slammed the bars so they couldn't possibly dropped and made all the adjustments around that and tested it this afternoon for fit. Seems like I got it pretty close. Some light tinkering left maybe, but I feel more confident that stuff isn't going to move.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 167W. HR 138.

I think daycare are basically shutting down, so it looks like childcare should be difficult. We weren't going to put them in daycare the first part of the year anyway with the virus raging. Should probably just wait once again with my class cut. Just gets to much with everyone home all the time.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix -2). 201W. HR 148.

Felt strong. Good tempo ride.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer (Beehive). 189W. HR 139.

Got through 2 hours on the trainer fine. Picked my wheels up at the bike shop. Was going to tried to get the bike ready for the morning and stud the rear tire, but just didn't get there. The guys ended up going out later anyway. Oh well.

PM: 90' on the trainer (Andrews). 190W. 141.

Good week of training. 11 total hours. 9 cycling 2 running. Needed to get an ancillary session or two in but didn't. FTP test on Tuesday. We shall see how much fitness I have gained. 

Lunch: 6.2 miles in ~55' on the treadmill (8:48). HR 154.

Almost got through an hour before the mill shut off. Screen is kind of wonky. 

5' @ 5.0, 5.5

10' @ 6.0, 6.5, 7.0

5' @ 7.5, 8.0, 8.5

PM: 60' on the trainer (Truuli). 176W. HR 144.

Tensioned the legs a bit for tomorrow's FTP test.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 193W. HR 141.

FTP Test 

2.2% increase over the last 6 weeks. Went from 275 to 281. 

Interval 1: 315 watts/172 BPM

Interval 2: 311 watts/172 BPM

I was trying to hold closer to 320+ but didn't quite get there. HR was a good deal lower than the assessment 6 weeks ago where I went 308W/306W 185BPM/187BPM. In fact, 172 BPM is not that high for me (I've done over 2 hours at 179 in a race). Perceived effort was the same (eyeball out), so my heart is getting more efficient, which is good.

AM: 60' recovery ride on Zwift. 80W. HR 92.

Found out that Mom and Delia were not coming this weekend because my sister has COVID and it's been through their house and my brother's. Pretty disappointed as they were coming for my birthday. I am very tired of this virus.

Put a few more studs in my fat bike tire. I think I started it on Tuesday night. It is time consuming.

AM: 4.7 miles in 40' on the treadmill (8:32). HR 150-155.

5' each @ 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 (all @ 2%)

5' each @ 8.0, 8.5, 9.0 (all @ 2%)

5' @ 5.0

Working dad kind of workout. I think I will keep this workout and extend it to 20' and pick up the pace over the next few weeks.

Sold my gravel bike through Pro's Closet. I love the bike, but it's got some miles and reminds me of the pandemic, even though I did a fair amount of memorable riding. Still waiting to hear on when the Specialized 2022 Cruxs are shipping. Should be lighter and faster, which is what I want.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 203W. HR 140.

Had a student cancel a meeting so I jumped on the trainer for the second qaulity session today. Felt good and the sprints got more power each time, which is probably what they should be.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix -2). 206W. HR 146.

Good effort. Stronger than last week and slightly lower HR. Resting HR was 42, which is good to see. Fitness slowly building. Weight is chipping away, slowly but in the right direction.

PM: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 184W. HR 142.

Did 5' pickups toward the end of every 30'. Wanted to do 2 hours, but didn't leave myself enough time.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer (Zwift). 182W. HR 140.

Decent spin. Continued watching the latest Ozark season. Turing 37 tomorrow. As I write the number it sounds very young. I don't feel young. 

The boys' 15-month pediatrician appointment is tomorrow.

PM: ~90' on the trainer.

Zwift Race #1

The boys had their 15-month appointment. All went well. Mostly a topical day. 37th birthday. I decided to sign up for a Zwift race and see how it worked. It was much more exciting than I thought. Warmed up a little bit, but didn't leave myself enough time. The first group was way out in front. I suspect they were major sandbaggers as my FTP is just under the cutoff for the C group. 3 laps of Watopia's Volcano Route. I figured it would be about an hour and it was just over 59'. I waited to long to start the sprint and got crushed, but it was oddly exciting and I pushed a decent effort 251 watts/163 BPM or 90% of FTP. I think this would be more beneficial than doing intervals, but I can see the place of intervals. Still, I might replace the upcoming midweek workouts with some of these races just to keep things interesting. 

Cooled down for 20'.

We got 5-6 inches of incredibly light powered snow. Will try to get in a fat bike ride this weekend hopefully.

Lunch: 6.8 miles on the treadmill in 60. No HR data.

10' each @ 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0

Treadmill started to shut off just after 60'. Hoping to get the electrical box straightened out and hope that this sorts the issue. If not, I am not sure what to do. 

AM: 60' on the trainer (Pettit). 174W. HR 121.

Charlie has start to stand up and walk a bit. We did a lot of practicing the last few days, Saywer isn't super interested and seems cautious, but he does like to stand in his crib and laugh.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Bays +1). 201W. HR 135.

PM: ~7 miles on the treadmill in 60'. HR 154.

20' Tempo 

WU: 10' @ 6.0, 5' each @ 6.5, 7.0

Tempo: 5' each @ 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5

CD: 5' @ 5.0, 15' @ 5.5

The last 2-3 minutes were difficult. HR was solidly in the 180s and my form was breaking down. It's been a long time since I have run that fast on a treadmill. I imagine the 90' tempo ride I have planned tomorrow morning might be difficult.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix -1). 216W. HR 142.

Good session. Starting to get stronger and fitter for sure.

The boys went to play with their friend. They were excited when we came back to get them at first, then they went back to playing. 

AM/Lunch: 150' on the trainer (Kennedy Peak +1). 213W. HR 156.

An excellent ride. Leveled up from what I was planning and it might have been too much (more than I needed to do that is), but I made it through just fine. Definitely missing some fluids after this one. Recovery ride tomorrow.

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 67W. HR 98.

Recovery ride. Spent the afternoon with the boys as Megan was in Toledo doing some final stuff for the sale of her parents' house.

AM: 3 miles on the treadmill in about 30'. No HR data.

Didn't leave myself enough time for the full hour. Had my car picked up for service, which is a nice convenience. Sounds like it might cost me some money, which sucks as the car only has 26,000 miles on it. Best to maintain it I guess and not have to worry about it further down the road.

Will jump back on the treadmill later or ride the trainer.

PM: Off.

Thought something was wrong with the trainer, but I researched it and there was bluetooth interference from an open TrainerRoad app on my phone. Wished I had figured that out before I lost it. $900 in maintenance for a car with 26,000 miles on it did not set me up to be in a patient mood.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Sanford +2). 187W. HR 143.

First interval session of Barry Roubaix buildup. 7 x 3' @ 105% of FTP, so just under 300 watts with equal recovery. Mostly just a muscle building workout and to make current FTP feel easier. Trainer worked just fine.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Brasstown). 189W. HR 137.

PM: 15' WU on treadmill. HR 128. 

+ Ancillary session. Hips and glutes w/ pushups and pullups between exercises.

Treadmill needs a good cleaning and lubrication. I underestimated the amount of maintainence these things would take. I think if I had to do it over again, I'd spend 2-3 times as much on a refurbished Woodway. Probably would hit my head on the floor joists though.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 186W. HR 142.

Did most of the sprints. Probably should dump one of these programs, but sometimes the simplicity of TrainerRoad is not what I need. Zwift is good for longer rides and more realistic cycling feel and recovery rides. I think I'll likley use it when the roads are in shape as I won't need as much structured trainer. Possibly will use it for midweek interval sessions as it is perfect for that despite lacking "race specificity." Basically like running 2-mile repeats on the track for a half marathon workout, but I never had a problem with it.

Today was supposed to be a run day with a 20' tempo, but I want to do some work on the treadmill first. It will likely take me several days to get to it.

AM: 60' on the fat bike @ Orion Oaks. HR 152.

I thought the conditions might be decent as I thought they groomed the trails for cross country skiing. They are tough going and I was basically breaking trail in a few places. Had enough and went home.

The boys went to their friends.

Off.

I think this was the day the shifting on my smart bike started messing up. Called it and took the day off. First day off in 33 days or so.

AM/Lunch: 2.5 hours on the fat bike. HR 157.

Road to Bald Mountain South and it was in absolutely fantastic shape as one of the guys went through with his snowmobile. I did three laps there are actually set my third fastest time. 

Cut down the Polly Ann, which was in horrible shape. The plowed portions a few weeks ago and it was super fast. This was awful as were the safety paths to get to Orion Oaks. Apparently schools throughout the municipality don't do their sidewalks and paths. Went into Orion Oaks and it was such garbage. I kept falling and stalling and swearing. Headed back out to the dirt roads but the ones heavily travelled were glare ice and I wasn't feeling like a fall. 

PM: 3.6 miles in 42' on the treadmill. HR 131.

Bike still not working and the treadmill shutoff. The last few days have not been great other than a really good ride Sunday.

Put a call into Wahoo on the bike.

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer (Antelope -5). 215W. HR 150.

Messed around with the trainer and figured out the shifters were reprogrammed and that I could use it in erg mode and I just needed to be aware of the shifting pattern. By the time I finished the workout, it was back to normal. A good interval session.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 150W. HR 125.

Mood much improved today. Been fighting the blues/minor depression for a few days. My dad was officially diagnosed with early stage dementia by his primary care physician as of Thursday and my mom told me Friday. I knew it was the case by the official diagnosis hit a little hard.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 76W. HR 88.

What cyclists call "active recovery" or "AR." For runners it's either recovery or rest. Legs were fine from yesterday. Just trying to absorb the work. Plus it is fun to watch Food Network and silently add "that's what she said" to pretty much everything Molly Yeh says.

Good day. Better than the previous ones. Nice day of students ghosting meetings, getting some grading done, and mostly playing with my kids. Oh, and a very efficient 20' nap when Megan was upstairs working and the boys were napping.

Starting to get a little cabin fever, but overall not bad. Just waiting for the new bike to come in so that I can get a few rides in before Barry Roubaix at the end of March. Roads won't be in shape for several weeks, but I can at least look at it while I am on the trainer.

AM: 2 hours on the trainer (Zwift). 176W. HR 138.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 183W. HR 139.

An indulgent day of exercise, but that's the beauty of working from home and having a reduced course load. Getting further sucked into the Zwift universe. Today I figured out my fancy trainer can "steer"(using buttons on the inside of the hoods). Not exactly sure how it plays out in the virtual world other than working on line selection and moving around people (in racing I imagine it helps with drafting). I think what drove me nuts about it at first makes it that intriguing now.

A good day. Mentally feel the best I have in a long time. Mostly been pretty solid lately anyway, but it feel nice to feel really good. Training my head off seems to help.

Down 21 lbs from last year at this time. Another 10 to go. The additional 10 might never happen again, but things are starting to snowball a bit, which is nice. It has been SLOW.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Townsend -1). 168W. HR 128.

The boys went to their friend's for a while.

PM: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 164W. HR 140

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 154W. HR 136.

Didn't end up doing the 3 hours I has scheduled. I ended up going bad to bed for a while in the morning.

Lunch: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 182W. HR 143.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 185W. HR 145.

AM: 75' on the trainer (Antelope -4). 198W. HR 147.

Solid interval session. 4 x 10' sweet spot, with 6' recoveries. Recoveries a little long, but got some work in.

PM: 60' recovery ride on Zwift. 73W. HR 99.

AM: 45' recovery ride on Zwift. 91W. HR 95.

Cut it short of 1 hour to meet with a student on time who didn't show. Starting to feel some mild cold symptoms the last few days. Nothing major so far.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Phoenix). 219W. HR 158.

Heart rate higher than expected, but a slight cold since maybe Tuesday. Took a COVID test as I am paranoid. Negative. Probbaly should not have pushed while sick as I have really messed myself up several times in the last few years doing that, but the training load and workouts were much harder.

Lunch: 15' WU on the treadmill. HR 125. + light ancillary session.

Some quick hip stuff after doing a little routine maintenance on the treadmill. I was hoping to hear back from company to make sure it was done right, but decided to just do it myself.

Off.

Took the day off to rest and hang out with the boys. Cold lingering but don't feel too bad. Megan got the worst of it. Boys seem just fine.

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 143W. HR 131.

Supposed to do closer to 3 hours, but didn't get downstairs early enough. Massively anxious after, but I got a sandwhich and started hydrating pretty hard and started to feel a lot better.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 186W. HR 131.

Felt a little worse with the cold today and Megan's has been rough. Boys still seem fine. Thought my HR might be higher today, but it was in good shape. 

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 195W. HR 136.

Two solid rides. Felt very comfortable. Set up some custom workouts on Zwift so when I dump TrainerRoad I will have some preprogrammed stuff. Make training fun again to be piecing things together. 

Felt much better mentally throughout the day and had a good nap at lunchtime on the couch while the boys napped and Megan was in a meeting. Think I might have been run down and overtired from being sick. 

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 186W. HR 129.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 220W. HR 150.

Good interval session. 4 x 8' @ 90% w/ 4' recoveries. Wrote my workout, which is really not hard to do when you have a running background and a decent basic understanding of cycling .

AM: 45' on the treadmill. HR 121.

Very slow recovery jog. Treadmill cut out. Got a message from my buddy Tom about hooking up the 20AMP dedicated breaker for tomorrow.

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 194W. HR 132.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 206. HR 143.

Got a decent little nap in. I have been taking naps most days just after the boys go down for theirs. Yesterday I slept for a bit over an hour and it felt like I was paralyzed (in a good way). Todqy was around 20-30', which if well timed is amazingly perfect. I'm a big napper but haven't got into a rhythm lately even with working from home.

My buddy Tom came to look at the electrical. He asked if the treadmill was popping breakers, which I felt dumb about because of course if the treadmill was overloading the circuit that is what it would do. Not the case. Something is causing the treadmill to draw more power than it needs (or it needs more power than it can handle and it shuts down). Not sure this will slove the issue, but I am going to have it done anyway. Put a service request in to NordicTrack just because. Trying to be more assertive as the machine has never been right even after four service calls. 

Break start for me today more or less. Won't change things a ton, but still feels exiciting somehow and that is good.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 203W. HR 137.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 206. HR 138.

Megan and I both have lingering cold, so the boys didn't go to their friends. Mine has been mild, Megan's has been rough. The boys seem unaffected. 

Winter break started.

AM/Lunch: ~3 hours on the trainer w/ Zwift Race

Zwift Race: 64' @ 275W. HR 171.

Decided to do a race rather than 3 hours of endurance riding. The pace yo-yoed for the first 15' and then I got dropped hard and basically turned it into a time trial. I had to really concentrate and gut it out. No one really cares if you quit a virtual race in your basement, but I figured I needed to solid effort. I chased down one rider for most of the first lap and held them off in the second. 

30' warm up and 90' cool down. 

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 144W. HR 112.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift ). 144W. HR 113.

14+ hours of training this week. I haven't put up numbers like that for some time. Going to try to pack it in this week over break. Still waiting on my new bike and getting a bit nervous with the first outdoor race of the season a month away.

AM: 120' on the trainer (Zwift). 187W. HR 133.

PM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 195W. HR 136.

Tried to do a hillier ride in the morning by setting the automatic incline. Wanted a bit hillier but didn't want to overdo it. Need to learn the different courses. Afternoon ride was steady in ERG mode @ 75% for the most part. It's a lot easier to ride for 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon than it is to run for the same amount of time.

AM: 90' on the trainer (Zwift). 203W. HR 137.

PM: 4.1 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:48.

These were my first outside miles of 2022. Decent weather. Felt really good to be outside. Saw an older guy just flowing on the otherwise of the road. No idea how fast he was running but it looked very fast.

AM/Lunch: 4 hours on the fatbike (51 miles). HR 149.

The Polly Ann was crap, Greenshield was great until I hit a flooded and frozen section. Took it very slow. Most of the roads headed east were in really solid shape. This was not the case on the other side of M-24. Lots of potholes, mud, water, etc. Probably should have stayed on the east side roads. Bike was covered as was I. 

Only took in 140 calories preride. No significant stoppage time. I imagine the roads will need a good while to get the frost out and dry out. I imagine after this weekend they will be a mess. Hard to believe March 12, 2020 was the first official TND and the week before that Joe and I rode the route. 

AM: 60' on the trainer (Zwift). 195W. HR 132.

Legs were pretty tired, but overall good. A little irritable today, minor anxiety. Hoping it is not a flare up. I imagine it is partially related to travel (just going to Toledo for an overnight).

PM: Off. 

Waited for my car to be dropped back off while Megan was out. Decided 60' after 4 hours yesterday was just fine. Something longer tomorrow and then two 60' rides over the weekend. The logged about what I hoped to for break week. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 207W. HR 140.

Good progression ride.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 187W. HR 137.

AM: 2 hours on the trainer. 178W. HR 130. 

Watched Strade Bianchi. Did a hard 1' effort every 10' except for the last 10'. We headed to Toledo to see Megan's mom and had dinner at our uncle's. The boys got to see all of their cousins on Megan's side and it was a good time.

Off.

The boys went to bed very late and didn't end of sleeping any later than normal. Megan got up with them and I slept in for the first time in a while. Good breakfast at our uncles and then home. 

Just over 15 hours of training time this week with a rest day. I haven't put up those numbers in a long time. It was a good break. We didn't necessarily do anything too different, but it was enjoyable.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 177W. HR 132.

PM: 90' on the trainer. 200W. HR 141.

Did some hills in the afternoon and some efforts, but I don't recall what they were. Indulgent for a Monday back to regular work stuff, but, hey. Why not?

AM: 70' on the trainer. 228W. HR 147.

4 x 10' @ 92%

A good session. Very managable, but work was done.

PM: Off.

AM: 60 on the trainer. 144W. HR 108.

Recovery ride. 

PM: 3.5 miles, averaged 10:23. HR 134.

Fancied a run outside. The Polly Ann was pretty muddy and not quite ready. Better weather coming next week should dry it out a bit. It will still be a while before bikes should be on it.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 204W. HR 141.

Progession ride. Finished at 90%. ~15' from 80-85%, but mostly zone 2.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 232. HR 153.

50' of progressive tempo riding. I have modeled some of my riding workouts after running workouts. This one was intended to mimic the effort of an 8-mile tempo around marathon effort to a little firmer. I would normally warm up and cool down for about 13-15 miles total (so about 1:45-1:50), so this was shorter, but after a longer effort in the morning and our schedule I did this. I enjoyed it and my HR was basically dead on where I thought it would be. I do miss the 8-mile tempo. It was my "fun" and productive workout for many years.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 167W. HR 127.

AM/Lunch: 3 hours on the trainer. 220W. HR 154.

Did the 3 Sisters Route in Watopia on full intensity. It was hilly. I was stalling out even with the bike programmed with a road cassette. Good effort.

Still no word on the new bike.

Lunch/PM: 90' on the trainer. 118W. HR 107.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 155W. HR 113.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and boys, averaged 10:46. HR 131.

First land miles in some time. Nice to get some air.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 207W. HR 134.

PM: Walk w/ Megan and the boys.

Lunch/PM: 90' on the trainer. 237W. HR 154.

4 x 12' @ 94%

Good session. First time I have felt the intervals were fairly difficult but I shorted the recoveries with higher intensity and longer intervals with higher intensity.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:39. HR 138.

Great weather!

AM: 60' on the trainer. 144W. HR 110.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:13. HR 135.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 231W. HR 149.

90' Progression w/ 65' Progressive Tempo

Really solid workout. Strong. Tired, but good. More outside running this week has no doubt deadened the legs. Nice to be running a bit and outside.

PM: 5.3 miles w/ Megan, averaged 10:04. HR 140.

AM/Lunch: 2.5 hours on the trainer. 232W. HR 152.

Steady group ride on Zwift. It was steady.

Mentally preparing myself for my parents' visit. Doing okay with it so far I guess.

Off.

Picked my parents up at the airport around 8AM. Decent day. Wasn't really sure how things would work with dad, but we did okay. 

AM: 60' on. the trainer. 185W. HR 125.

Easy spin. 

PM: 1.4 miles w/ the boys.

Started with Megan but had to turn around as the Buffalo chicken pizza for lunch wasn't going to permit me much time on my feet. Tried to run longer close to the house, but had to leave the boys next to the Polly Ann trail and hit the field. Oof.

Off. 

I think this was the day I took my parents to Oakland to show them campus. I started to hit my limit here with what I could take mentally. You haven't really loved until you pull over in your university parking lot so that your dad can piss his Depends. 

Off.

This might have been the day we went to Oakland, but I can't remember. Emotionally exhausted. I have no idea how my mother survives taking care of him.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 195W. HR 141. 

Took my parents to airport around 6:30. My dad asked when they were leaving at least 20-30 times. Megan and I are tired. It has been impossible to get any work done. 

AM: ~70' on the trainer. 232W. HR 147.

50' of progressive tempo. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 191W. HR 132.

Rode the trainer while Megan ran on the treadmill. Boys were at a friend's. No Barry Roubaix for me. Tough week mentally with my parents and I am still waiting on my bike. Some people offer to let me borrow a bike and I never changed my registration for the fat bike, so I just skipped it. Both disappointed and mildly resigned to the fact that races just aren't going to happen sometimes. Pretty used to that over the last few years anyway.

The boys are spending a lot of time walking. Crawling a bit still, but a lot more time on their feet. 

I applied to a remote reading institute gig a few weeks ago. Got through the first round, but didn't get it. Finding it difficult to find anything. 

AM: 2 hours on the trainer. 202W. HR 141.

Did 5' @ 322 watts at the 1:45 mark. 

PM: 120' on the trainer. 206W. HR 146.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 207W. HR 141.

Progression. Zone 2 w/ light bit into zone 3.

PM: 50' on the trainer. 206W. HR 147.

Did some sprints to work on form.

PM: ~60' on the trainer. Zwift 'C' Race.

I guess I won. Always hard to tell with different groups on the course. I thought I got killed. One guy was majorly sandbagging, so he was disqualified. I was only mildly sandbagging, so they gave it to me. 306W for 15:20. HR 179. It hurt.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 173W. HR 123.

Should have done a recovery ride probably, but this was certainly pretty easy.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 199W. HR 130.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 230W. HR 153.

Strong progression. The last 40' are 5' progressions through zone 3. The last 20' are 5' segments of 90%, 95%, 100%, and 105%. I hesitate to call this a breakthrough workout, but I think it was. 20' I averaged 287 watts and the last 10' were right around 300w average. 

Started watching a new show this week: Vampire Diaries. It's fine. Finished Queen of the South until the next season drops in a few days. I should probably blog about these as I have been watchign A LOT of television on the trainer. 

PM: 60'+ on the fatbike. HR 132.

Dirt roads are still crappy. Felt great to get out. Felt like I needed it. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 82W. HR 94.

True recovery ride. I was going to ride again, but decided to rest.

AM/Lunch: 4+ hours on the fat bike. HR 149.

Decided to go outside rather than doing 3 hours on the trainer. It was quite chilly to start (in the 20s), but I was dressed perfectly. Enjoy the ride a good deal. It was muddy in places, but some roads were in really great shape. Averaged 14MPH, which would have killed me last year, especially at 4 hours and 20+ minutes. Fitness has come a long way and I am feeling very strong on the hills. My endurance is really strong. I imagine when I finally get my new gravel bike 16-17 MPH over dirt roads will feel very easy.

Looking like a 15 hour training week. Knee cap has felt weird for a few weeks. I think it is from kneeling on the hardwood to pick stuff up or out from under the couch. Doesn't hurt, just feels misaligned.

The boys are predominantly walking now. Not really talking much, but they understand everything we say.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 119W. HR 100.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 194W. HR 127.

PM: 90' on the trainer. 196W. HR 133.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 186W. HR 123.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys. HR 132.

AM: 90' progression on the trainer. 224W. HR 143.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 236W. HR 153.

4 x 12 @ 94%. Strong session. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 144W. HR 112.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 144W. HR 109.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 113W. HR 101.

PM: 75' ride on the fat bike.

Karoo restarted about 55' in and ate my ride. I wasn't thrilled. 

AM: 3 hours on the fat bike (43.3 miles). HR 150.

Felt good. Tried to take down the Shuette Oak Tree segment. On a 17 lb gravel bike I would taken it. A fat bike with studded rear was not going to work, but I figured it would be funny if I did it. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 130W. HR 104.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys on the Polly Ann. HR 132. 10' pace. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 233W. HR 147. 

3 x 15 @ 90-95%. This was a great workout. I hesitate to call it a breakthrough workout, but it was a good one.

PM: 85' @ Orion Oaks on the fat bike. HR 116.

Just nice and easy and it felt good. It was a big day of exercise.

PM/Lunch: 3 hours (44.8 miles) on the fat bike. HR 145.

I picked up Mom, Delia, and Katie at the airport and went out for a ride around 11. Got soaked in the rain coming back down the Polly Ann.

Trying to catch up on blog entries from the last three weeks or so. Figured I would start here from when my family came and work forward to document the rough mental health patch I hit later in the week (Friday I think was the day of the panic attack) and still working through on Thursday April 21.

PM: 120' on the trainer. 183W. HR 132.

I cannot recall what we did this day, but I know I waited until the afternoon to ride and did something longer. Megan ran for a while when I was on the trainer.

Lunch: 90'+ on the fat bike. HR 141.

Took 7th overall on the Orion Oak perimeter loop. Was pleased with that as most people were likely on gravel bikes or mountain bikes.

I do believe this was the day of the panic attack. Megan was talking to her dad on the phone and he was having a medical issue and my Mom was on the phone with my dad and he was having a medical issue. The conjunction was not good. I was feeding the boys and started to suck air. Took some anxiety meds and felt better. 

I take Mom, Katie, and Delia to the airport tomorrow evening.

Off.

Took Mom, Katie, and Delia to the airport in the evening. I think this might have been the day we did our egg hunt outside with the boys, but I am writing this entry on May 2. It was really nice to have people around for a few days. Feeling kind of lonely and isolated again.

Off.

Rough day mentally as I recall. 

Off.

Another rough day mentally. I don't recall the specifics. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 84W. HR 99.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 105W HR 112.

First riding in three days after a series of tough mental health days. I started to go downhill right about the time Mom, Katie, and Delia were leaving. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 92W. HR 99.

PM: 60' on the fat bike @ Orion Oaks. HR 134.

Morning was true active recovery. The sky was kind of moody but the precip held off.

PM: 60' on the fat bike @ Orion Oaks. HR 140.

Good afternoon therapy session. Felt a bit better after a couple rough days.

PM: 65' on the fat bike @ Orion Oaks. HR 146. 

Short ride, but good. Down week/recovery week needed.

Off.

Travel to Toledo for Megan's race. We had fun with the boys outside and had an awesome dinner. Happy not to be running in the morning, but I do feel like I am missing out.

Off.

Megan ran the Glass City Half Marathon in just under 2 hours, which I thought was really good in warmer conditions and for her first race since before the pandemic started and we had the boys. Took the boys to the race as it is in walking distance from Megan's uncle's. It was a beautifully warm weekend. 

Had a rough day mentally, but tried to be positive and supportive as I didn't want to ruin Megan's day.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 146W. HR 125.

HR elevated.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 172W. HR 133.

A bit better in the afternoon I think.

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 184W. HR 140.

HR elevated from stress and anxiety.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 232W. HR 155.

Decided to do a short but steady workout in the PM to test HR and body response. Felt pretty solid overall.

Off.

The boys' 18-month pediatrician appointment. All went fairly well. Poor Charlie (usually very even tempered) melted down a bit, to the point he peed everywhere. These things happen. 

Got a message that my special order was in, which I could only assume was my bike but it was just the power meter I ordered for the new bike and a new guy didn't put what it was in the message. I was pretty disappointed when I found out the mistake, but I had to bring in my fatbike wheel to have the tire changed over as I don't have the proper space in the garage right now to set them up tubeless. 

Weird day mentally. Nothing terrible, just rapid mood shifts.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 224W. HR 155.

Progression ride. Harder than I remember this version, probably harder than I needed. Pecked away at grading stuff. Not too stressful a day. I think yesterday was my stressful day a day early. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 122W. HR 115.

Decided I needed another ride. We took the boys outside for, I think, their first walking tour of the outside of the house. We were going to go for a walk, but they were having so much fun we figured we wouldn't get them into the stoller.

AM: 2.5 hours on the trainer. 200W. HR 140.

Submitted grades last night as they were due this morning at 10. Trying to decompress a little. Definitely not a stressful semester work wise. Couldn't get settled into my ride and had a hard time concentrating, which rarely happens for me on the trainer. 

We took the boys outside to walk in the driveway and the yard after a short neighborhood walk. The love being outside. They didn't go to their friends as she was sick.

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 222W. HR 152.

Went back to bed after Megan got up. Should have just done my ride as I didn't sleep and I woke up anxious, which seems to happen if I got back to bed only a few hours after getting up (~1.5-2 hours). Felt better after the first 5' of the ride, which was welcomed. Steady for 60' and then applied pedal pressure for the last 60'. Took it out of ERG mode, which seemed to be better for longer, flat rides. I felt very strong and as if I could press even harder at the end if I needed to.

Still watching Vampire Diaries. A Sopa opera with vampires, but it works. Need to start the final episodes of Ozark (a very different show for sure).

Megan and I took the boys to Orion Oaks. Independance Oaks was charging to get in and it looked like rain. We took the boys to see the off-leash dog section of the park. We walked the trails a bit. Sawyer found a sizable stick, which he loved and Charlie helped me push the stroller.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 224W. HR 147.

A really solid ride. Felt much better today mentally (yesterday wasn't really too bad). Really enjoyed the ride. Felt even stronger today than yesterday. Still waiting on my bike and to get my fat bike week back. The weather hasn't been spectacular anyway. 

Put in a strong effort hydrating today. I was down a few quarts from yesterday and today. 

Probably still need to fit in one run a week, but I really don't have much desire to unless it is with Megan and the boys.

PM: 120' on the trainer. 227W. HR 148.

Felt even stronger than the last two days. Call about getting the deck redone. Might take a while, but then again, every service or item takes forever these days.

We had Spring Conference today. I listened in a bit while Megan was running things upstairs and had the boys from pretty much 7-3, which was good but tiring. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 237W. HR 156.

4 x 12 @ 94% w/ 4' recoveries. Strong workout. I have done it twice this year. Data was pretty consistent with when I did it about a month ago.

Got an email that my Lumberjack 100 entry moved from the waitlist to registration. Excited and nervous. 100 miles of trails on a fat bike is kind of crazy. Not sure if I will be able to do it logistically as I am not sure I can leave Megan with the boys for that long. It would be nice to have some help so every few months I could do things that make life feel normal.

Rainy outside. I would have been inside anyway as I am still waiting on my wheel and my bike (which I have made peace with, as it could still be months, I really don't know).

AM: 60' on the trainer. 106W. HR 96.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 9:53. HR 143.

Got a run in on our neighborhood loop. Thought the Polly Ann might be muddy after the rain. Picked up my wheel at KLM. Nice to have an outdoor bike back and rolling.

AM: 2.5 hours on the fat bike. HR 151.

A little anxious this morning, but felt much better quite early in the ride and had a really good ride. The roads around the Clarkston area were in excellent shape. 15.5MPH, which was solid. I think that was what I was doing on my gravel bike last year for the same or higher HR.

I guy I ride with came and measure to deck for the redo/repair. 20-30k I about crapped my pants. 

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:01. HR 140.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 207W. HR 139.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 236W. HR 150.

Increasing pedal pressure throughout the 2 hours with a sprint or two. Feeling really good again. Mentally very solid. Lots of stuff to worry about, but the mental space to work at it. I am thankful for that.

Weather looking solid over the next few days.

We went to Toledo for a party for Megan's mom. We had a good time. We came back home instead of staying down.

AM: 2 hours on the fat bike at Orion Oaks. HR 133.

Kept it easy and just enjoyed it and watched out for people as the traffic picked up. I think Megan had a pretty good Mother's Day. The boys have definitely entered the toddler stage, however.

AM: 2 hours of dirt roads on the fat bike. HR 143.

14.5 MPH at a nice endurance effort. I went after a segment, but just didn't have it in me. Checked out Bald Mountain to see if it had dried out. It hasn't. Likely after a few warmer days we are scheduled for. It's really nice to be outside.

AM: 2 hours 20' on the fat bike on dirt roads. HR 156.

Just under 16MPH. I was 16.5 to 17 for a decent amount of time but the winds chewed me up on the way back. Headed west and the roads were (for the most part) in fantastic shape. I wanted to test my pace solo to see if I might be able to keep up with B group for the Thursday Night Ride. No word on the bike. I think it is coming in the end of never. Really good ride. Definitely got some sun.

PM: 4 miles with Megan and the boys, averaged 10:08. HR 141.

Did 2x stroller strides of about 20". The boys have been challenging, but they are expressing themselves.

AM: 2 hours 35' on the fat bike on the dirt roads. HR 144.

Out on the Polly Ann with an early segment attack. Still need about 5" on a 1' segement. Mostly pretty easy with one aborted segmen attempt later. Roads were in solid shape. Some of the ones east of Rochester Road were a bit sandy and graveley but not too bad. A really good ride throughout except for a landscaper almost crushing me as I went through a traffic circle on Adams. Big truck and trailer. I was not pleased. 

It's definitely tank top season. I had to say a few Hail Marys just before going into Oxford.

PM: 3 hours on the fat bike. HR 157.

Thursday Night Dirt!

I am sure people thought I was nuts, but I rode B group and we did just under 18 MPH for the loop and I kept up fine, even pulled away from a few people on the hills. I think people were floored with how far I have come from last year. It was so nice to get out and hang out with people. I won't be out next week, but plan to do the ride as normal throughout the summer.

Still looking for work. 

AM: 80' on the fat bike @ Orion Oaks. HR 134.

Mostly easy/recovery with two segment attacks, one of which I did twice because I didn't realize the turn was part of it. I missed by 2" on a 2' segment. I didn't try a third time as it was getting very busy and I did want to dust anyone at 20-25 MPH.

Did some mulching, which is actually kind of fun. 

AM/Lunch: ~2:45 on the fat bike. HR ~135-138.

Head unit ate my first 2.5 hours, which I was not pleased about. Tried to find the file, combine it with the second part of the ride, but no luck. Some exploring a bit, which made it difficult to get back at my planned time.

Got an estimate for composite redo for the deck with some rebuild. $24,000. More than we wanted to spend and my mom's very generous contribution was less than I remember it being originally. Going to explore other options. I don't feel right asking him to redo the quote with pressure treated and have it still be out of our range. Should have given him a budget up front, as I feel like we didn't respect his time.

We took the boys to their friend's birthday party. It was nice to see some people, though it was stressful as I really dislike being in a space where I am unaware of the potential toddler injury inducers are. 

AM/Lunch: 2:35 on the fat bike. HR 135. 

Roads were in prime shape. I rode down the hill by Oxford High School for the first time in quite a whil, certainly not since the shooting. It was a weird feeling. 

Felt better mentally on this ride than yesterday, which was a weird ride in itself because I felt great just not sure what to do about anything financially about house stuff. Not really landing anything part time and not sure if I will have more than 2 classes in the fall, which is a drastic cut in pay, one not sustainable. 

We've had a phenomenal week of weather. Hot, not humid. Really nice.

PM: 120' on the trainer. 210W. HR 134.

Got my new shoes out and the cleats on and adjusted, which took a bit as I didn't have them tight enough.

AM: 75' on the trainer. w/ 40' @ 282 watts.

Tried to do a 1-hour power test, but I couldn't quite concentrate. I was pleased with the effort. HR was 172, so I could have held the effort for much longer if I needed to. My shortest ride in quite some time.

15' up/20' down.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 128W. HR 105.

It's been raining off and on, so I haven't been outside. I would take the road conditions and weather we had last week all summer for sure.

AM: 2:32 on the fat bike. HR 144.

Bad decision. Roads were an absolute mess from the rain. I figured there'd be a puddle or two, but I didn't expect peanut butter. My bike and myself were covered when I got back, which ticked me off because I felt like it put a lot of wear and tear on the bike. Oh well.

I ended up going to Addison Oaks and did a few miles of the single track, which still makes me nervous. I like to try to hit trees.

Skipped Thursday Night Dirt as Megan had a doctor appointment. I guess the roads were decent, but definitely pot hold-ed as I was near the route in the morning. Looking forward to getting out next week with any luck.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 221W. HR 143. 

The boys went to Layla's. I worked on cleaning the garage a bit and worked on trying to figure out how to keep up with the house. 

AM/Lunch: 180' on the trainer. 217W. HR 141.

Volcano Route laps. Did one hot lap toward the end @ 328 watts for just over 6'. 

Lumberjack is definitely out as we are traveling to Maine. Really need to get a race on the calandar that I actually attened. Still nothing on the gravel bike. I imagine I'll be riding a 2023 by the time the special order gets filled. Oh well. Dumb call on my part for selling the old one too early. 

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:33. HR 133.

Did 2x stroller strides.

Took the day off from riding. It's been a while I think.

AM: 2+ hours on the fat bike. HR 142.

Roads were dry except for an occasional puddle. Rolled on the Polly Ann to start just to make sure. It was in the 40s and I could have used tights.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:16. HR 135. 

Did 2x stroller strides.

AM: 2.5 hours+ on the fat bike. HR 147.

Wore tights, base layer, and rain jacket. Tights were fine, but the upper layer was slightly too much, but I unzipped my jacket when I needed to. Looks like a bit of rain the rest of the week for the most part. Trainer and running I think.

Did a slight reroute of the Ortonville loop I did last week or the week before. It is much safer with a longer stretch of dirt and less time on Grange Hall Road, before a decent into downtown. 55MPH roads with narrow shoulders, hills, and turns are not my most comfortable riding areas.

PM: 120' on the trainer. 229W. HR 150.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 205W. HR 139.

Route was hillier than I thought. Oof. The roads have been a mess, so I have been inside rather than trashing my fat bike.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 153W. HR 114.

Easy ride. 

PM: 2+ hours on the fat bike for the neighbor's ride. HR 108.

We went out and back on the Polly Ann. I was happy to easy pedal and get some sun. It was a beautiful day for it. Refereshment stop halfway. Went to their house after with the boys.

AM: 90'+ on the fat bike. HR 144.

We went to Toledo for a short visit (celebration of life and to see Megan's parents).

AM: 2+ hours on the fat bike. HR 144. 

Got back sooner than planned, so I attacked the Polly Ann segment. I chased an old dude on an e-bike who was running the stop sides. I almost ate it going over Greenshield as the transition is rough from grading. Still missed it. Should have gone back to the house and emptied my jersey as planned. 

We took the boys to the neighborhood park for a little bit. 

AM: 2.5 hours on the fat bike. HR 146. 

Dirt roads to Leonard and then back on the Polly Ann. Boys went to their friend's.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 180W. HR 122.

Shorter ride as Megan had a meeting. I could use a shorter day anyway. Saddle sore creeping in and Thursday Night Dirt tomorrow. Should probably run later as it is Global Running Day. 

Our friend is coming to watch the boys so Megan and I can go to dinner. We haven't been out since the boys were born. I haven't been to sit down inside at a restaurant since before COVID hit. Think we will still sit outside.

We had a good dinner at White Horse Inn.

PM: 3.5+ hours on the fat bike. HR 159.

Thursday Night Dirt. We rolled around 18+ and there was a photgrapher, so I got a great shot of me coming down Sheldon. People were going to RJ's but I don't feel like going out to a bar just yet. The beer stop that started during COVID has come to an end, which made the ride feel anticlimatic, but I did set my fastest time on the Dequindre hill and I dropped people on that hill and Campground. 

AM: 2:20 on the fat bike. HR 135.

The air was really fresh and clean. Easy breathing. Went through Metamora and explored a few new roads.

Bike shop called and got a line on my bike in a different color that was directly on the website, so the bad thing is no team discount, but I have secured the bike. I think the other colorway was way too busy. Hopefully should be in with a week or two, but we are heading to Maine around mid June anyway, so I will likely have to wait until we get back to pick it up.

I think was the day I got a request for an interview to get a class or so at Lawence Tech.

AM: 7.4 miles, averaged 9:26. HR 147.

Did some strides. The air felt amazing. Longest run in a little while. I am thinking I might pick a low key running race for fall. There's a local 8 miler, which could be fun as I could do 8-mile tempos and get a sense of what I could run. Not sure how it will work off 1-2 runs a week, but I do know my endurance is about as good as it has ever been (at least cycling). Now that I will have a gravel bike again, I have some plans for that as well. It is just tough with little ones, such is why I think I will return in some fashion to running races. Nothing serious, just something to keep things interesting. Cycling is still my primary sport.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 131W. HR 105.

I have an interview tomorrow to teach a few classes at another university. It seems promising.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 168W. HR 123.

Got the offer to adjunct at Lawrence Technological University. They don't pay as well as Oakland, but it is much better than other places. Adjunct pay actually recently went up and they are trying to expand enrollment. I might end up teaching 5 classes total if I end up with a third class at Oakland, but I am taking whatever I can get. 

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 241W. HR 153.

Strong effort. 20' @ 283W toward the end.

AM: 8.2 miles, averaged 9:05. HR 153.

Very comfortable running weather, so I went for it. Actually did feel like running. Did 5 x 1' on/off after the hour. Smashed my quads up a bit. That happens when you run little and inconsistently and try to run fast. Hopefully I didn't hurt them too much for the group ride tomorrow.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 127W. HR 108.

PM: 3:38 on the fat bike. HR 149.

We got a pretty soaking rain as we headed north and we got blasted. Muddy and gritty. Nothing like riding next to a few guys with $12,500 bikes and running gravel through their drivetrains!

HRM a little glitchy, but I figured out that the battery is low, which I guess I had forgot since it was relatively new somewhat recently, but I have a few hundred hours already this year.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 145W. HR 108.

Megan went to Toledo to watch our youngest nephew. The boys and I had a long, but very good day together.

AM: 14.3 miles, averaged 9:25. HR 153.

Just felt like running. I was enjoying myself and the weather was highly favorable, so I decided to test my endurance. My aerobic system can go for a while, but my muscular skeletal system definitely needs to rehardening (to be expected). Ran the Polly Ann for a while, which is more than I have run on, then the safety paths, and then some of the dirt roads in Oxford. Legs started to not want to move around 2:05 or so. Capped it at 2:15 and walked through the back field into the subdivision. 

Definitely my longest run since we bought the house. I would need to go back through my training to see when I went over 12 miles, which I think was the longest I did last fall.

Toying with doing a half marathon this fall to keep things interesting. I imagine I will only do two runs per week (something with some quality and then a long run with some quality at times). 

AM: 3 hours on the trainer. 113W. HR 98.

Legs were pretty beat up from running. This actually seemed to help. Long time, but very low intensity.

PM: ~1 hour walk with Megan and the boys. HR 89.

AM: 5.2 miles, averaged 8:34. HR 158.

Tried to run slow, but the person who was supposed to do the gutters and take down the lights from the previous owner decided the roof was too high even though I gave Megan an estimate on the phone. Stress and travel anxiety.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 160W. HR 114. 

AM: 2 hours on the trainer. 166W. HR 110.

HR likely off as the monitor has been. Ordered a new one with replacement. They are going to replace every damn one of them the second it doesn't work too. 

Both the bike I ordered from the Specialized website and the one I ordered through the shop came in the same day. I decided on the one I originally ordered because it had the discount. They built up the bike and it was ready in 3 hours. Of course I couldn't pick it up as they hadn't credited my account, but I did go see it.

Off to Maine tomorrow. Well, to New York and then Maine.

Off.

Travel to Maine. We got to Canandaigua, New York. The boys did very well. We ordered some food and went to pick it up. Always weird eating where you kids are sleeping but we didn't seem to both them. 

Off. 

Got to my parents' house around 8:00 or so. The boys did well. Charlie had a rough last 90', but the second day can be tough. They only had their Kindle Fires for the last part, so maybe an hour at most.

Off.

Should have gone running, but didn't even with lots of people around it is hard to leave the boys in an un-babyproofed house and Mom has to constantly wait on Dad.

Off.

The day of my mom's party. Dad had a couple minor meltdowns, but kind of hard to tell the difference with how he is now from what he was, but he has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. He has started rummaging, which is basically what it sounds like (collecting objects arond the house with no apparent logical connection). 

Should have gone running. A few days off are fine, but I needed to get out more than the one time we did (on Father's Day).

PM: 4 miles with Megan, no watch, which I apparently forgot.

It was in the low 50s and raining, but we got it done. Weather turned cold this day and the next day.

Off.

I don't recall what we did this day.

Off.

This was the day we went to Duncan's soccer at Erskine. School looks a bit different than when I was there, but not much. It was a bit hard to watch the game as the boys were running around and we were trying to feed them.

Off.

Took the boys to DEW Animal Sanctuary. They enjoyed it. 

Off.

Started back to Michigan. I was wildly anxious this morning. It was better toward the second part of the day, but I could barely function the first part. Not having an easy time with my dad's condition. We stayed in Utica, New York. The boys slept A LOT. We had Taco Bell for dinner. It's been a few years. Magical stuff.

Off.

Last travel day back to Michigan. We picked up colds from my nieces and nephews. The boys seem unaffected, expect Sawyer, who show some signs the last day or so in Maine. Picking up my new bike tomorrow with any luck.

PM: 1 hour+ on the new bike. HR 152.

No power numbers as I don't think the power meter was ever install, which makes sense because I couldn't add the sensor. Took down a KOM in one of the neighborhoods.

HR was pretty high as I am having moderate anxiety and am dehydrated from travel. Nice to be back on a drop bar bike. It is snappy and agile. Very fast and light. 

The boys are still very tired. They took a 3-hour nap today.

Got an email from a few days ago that I will have a third class at Oakland this semester and a decent possibility of a fourth, which would mean turning down one of the classes I got at Lawrence Tech. I told Megan I would just take them all, but she thought it would be too much, and I think she is right. 

AM: 1 hour+ ride. HR 136.

Went back to sleep on the couch after feeding the cats. The boys got up, but then fell back to sleep. And I didn't get them until almost 8. I went back to bed for about an hour as my energy is completely drained. Went out for a easy ride and went back to bed while the boys napped. 

Feeling more tired today and slighly confused, like this might be a head cold. Probably should take a COVID test, but haven't. Anxiety up and down, but nothing all out. Trying to hydrate and get nourishing foods and rest. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 171W. HR 134.

Issues with the new bike already. Left shifter battery not working properly. I took it in to have that fixed and the power meter installed that was never installed. I think it was probably rushed to get it out to me, but I am worried things were missed. The brake hood cover wasn't quite seated properly either. 

PM: 3.1 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:28. HR 142.

Had a very tough day mentally with anxiety. Came in waves, and had some near panic attacks on the run. I went to bed right after the boys did and slept mostly through the night from 8:00 to 7:00 or so the next day. 

AM: 120' on the trainer. 199W. HR 148.

Felt much better toda. Deydrated from travel still and quite tired, but happy to be feeling better than I did yesterday for sure.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys. HR 148. 

Pace was off due to a GPS error. Megan and I made a list of daycares for fall. A much better day mentally for sure. Fighting a mild cold, which is both fleeting and lingering on different day. I haven't heard anything on the bike. I need to deep clean my fat bike so that if I want to at least get outside I can, but I hate spending all that time cleaning bikes. Not much choice at this point I suppose. I will likley miss another week of Thursday Night Dirt. Oh well. Try to make most for the rest of the semester.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 210W. HR 154.

Tried to keep it moderate than add some pressure over the second hour. Still feeling sluggish and was probably better to go very easy. 

PM: 4+ hours. 152W. HR 157.

I got a call last night that they fixed the issue with my bike. I picked it up in the morning and decided to do Thursday Night Dirt.

It was pretty warm out. I started with A group and we started hard up Sheldon to grab a segment. That pretty much killed me as things continued to be quite fast. I got dropped before 31 Mile, which is the earliest I have been dropped. I waved off Frank to let him go (he got shelled hard too). I was bummed that I got killed, but knew I was still recovering from being sick and should have done B group. Ended up breaking off and heading north and then west toward home. High effort the whole time. Stopped in Metamora for a selection of drinks to get me home. I was a little ill when I got home, which I think was all the sugar from the Gatorade and the slushy Coke thing I drank.

AM: 2 hours 43 minutes. 142W. HR 132.

Downtown Ortonville loop. A few sprinkles coming down the Polly Ann. Felt generally good today on the ride. Mentally feeling much improved from several days ago.

PM: 10 miles, averaged 10:12. HR 150.

Megan went to stay with a few friends in Detroit last night. I had the boys from 6:30 when I picked them up from their friend's until about 1:30 today. It was actually pretty easy given that when I picked them up they just needed milk and their teeth brushed. I just hung out on the couch last night and watched a little Netflix and ordered some Thai as the gas gave out on the grill.

The run felt awful pretty much the whole time, but I got it in. Fairly certain I can keep this up of building a long run on Saturdays a a few short runs in the afternoon with Megan and the boys.

AM/Lunch: 4 hours 21 minutes. 165W. HR 140.

One of the best rides in recent memory. The weather was dry and sunny, very comfortable. I headed as far west as I have ever been, adding something like 35 new miles. The roads were quiet and perfect. I saw some baby turkeys, definitely the youngest ones I have seen. There were a lot of farms, but fewer livestock than in Metamora and Oxford area. 

I went by the creepy house Megan and I looked at when we were house hunting. Someone did buy it. I hope they paid far less than the $300,000 asking price as there were numerous visible issues. Big yard though. 

PM: one hour+ of walking and playing on the playground at Civic Center Park with the boys.

AM: 1 hour 21 minutes. 120W. HR 119.

Mostly very easy recovery with two segment attacks, which I did take down. I would have prefered a longer easy ride, but after 16 hours of cycling last week and 3 hours running, I needed to back off.

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 229W. HR 154.

Interval session. 4 x 10' @ 95% w/ 4' recoveries. Just under 280 watts for each interval. Good session. Had a tough morning realizing how much daycare actually cost and realizing there is no way we can afford it. Made for a tough morning, but I worked through it and the workout helped and went well. This was the first structured interval session now that I have my race bike.

AM: 60' recovery ride. 97W. HR 95.

Kept it true recovery even though I felt really good.

Got an offer to teach two classes at Oakland Community College, but it turns out yesterday that I do have four classes at Oakland and they are now trying to hire people as a number of people have left. I had to also turn down one class from Lawrence Tech as I can't really teach 6 classes, especially without daycare. It's an odd occupation. I have sometimes struggled to get three classes and I had to turn down three for the fall. Not a bad thing.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:37. HR 134.

Good run, but the horse flies were horrendous.

Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 174W. HR 121.

Megan went to Toledo to help her parents. I wasn't sure when she would be home, so I jumped on the trainer while the boys were napping. She came home in the early afternoon, so I decided to go out and do the ride.

PM: Thursday Night Dirt. Just under 4 hours. 156W. HR 144.

Road with B Group, which worked out well. Talked to the guy I had talked to last week, who I came to realize lives over in the neighborhood next to the middle school. He must have seen me riding because recognized my bike. A group passed us and a few of us jumped on for a while. It was too much of an effort for for me to sustained. 

Attacked a segment coming down Greenshield and took 10th overall. Need to find the legs to drop another 28 seconds or so off that, which won't be easy.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 141W. HR 111.

Took the boys to get their first COVID shot. We went to a party in Ann Arbor in the afternoon and had a great time. We stayed overnight with the boys.

PM: 4 miles w/ Megan and the boys, averaged 10:30. HR 142.

Felt like crap, but I turned the sprinklers on after and the boys played in them for a while. That was definitely worth doing. 

AM/Lunch: 4 hours (64.1 miles). 187W. HR 148.

90' up, 90' strong, 60' down. 260W (normalized power 272W) for the 90' @ 171 BPM.

Decided to do an impromptu fitness test. It went quite well I think. Just under 19MPH, with some slow chunky gravel here and there and some short hills, but I also had some fast pavement sections. Weather was dry, sunny, and beautiful. Felt better than I did yesterday, though still quite tired after waking up and a few cups of coffee.

Signed up for a 111 miles gravel race on Thursday. Need to get some longer rides in but I think I should be okay. 

PM: 2.8 mile walk w/ Megan and the boys. HR 98.