High-Octane

I've got my fingers crossed that I don't feel any pain this afternoon. Since I biked 80 miles yesterday I decided to take a break from the bike and run a couple of miles. I think my hip feels okay but time will tell. Last time I ran two miles it felt great until I went to work and sat at my desk for a couple of hours. My legs were a little heavy (as they've been for a couple of weeks) but still felt like they have energy in them.

I was wondering and concerned about my cardio so I went back to several 2 mile runs, back when I was not hurt, and compared the results. Here's the closest comparison I found...

May 8th  -  8:11 pace, HR 147   -   (Today) Sep. 11 - 7:09 pace, HR 149

So...In conclusion I'm hoping this relates to some longer distances and better times in the near future! Joe, I'm coming after you :-)

Jeremiah 7:3
This is what the LORD of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, says: Improve your conduct and your actions, and I will dwell with you in this place.

Whoo...Hoo... Ran two days in a row. My hip was a tiny bit sore at first but after about a quarter mile it seem to be fine. I didn't run quite as fast as yesterday intentionally because I was going to bike too. I had a little trouble with the biking. My light went out after about 3 miles and I fiddled with it for 10 or 15 minutes and never got it to work again so I rode in the dark for quite a while. Also, I was planning on about 20 miles but ran short on time. My legs are still somwhat sore and heavy feeling....I'm hoping that will go away soon.

Run: 2 Miles @ 7:54 pace - Bike: 12.5 @ 18.8 mph

I'm kinda slow on my transitions...I need to work on that also :-)

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I didn't run or bike today mainly because I got home about 1:00 am last night. We took another couple and our missionary friend (who has been in Joplin since the a few days after the big tornado) to San Antonio. Our missionary friend has come down to visit us for a few days. We took them all to the River Walk and to the Alamo. All of them are from up north (not real Texans). It's funny how little they knew about Texas history...Such as the fact that if the Alamo had fallen to the Mexicans we would now live in the United States of Mexico and  we would never have formed the United States of America, and we'd all be Mexicans ... I couldn't believe they didn't know that well known fact :-)

It's probably best I take a day off and let my legs and my hip rest. I feel I accomplished something running two days in a row and I don't want to mess up what I've gained.

Here's a picture of two of our friends in front of the Alamo... (They're on the right)

Proverbs 24:6
Battles are won by listening to advice and making a lot of plans.

Added Evening Ride (Out & Back):   Out .25 mile warm-up - 4.75 @ 17 mph then Back 4.75 @ 20.3 mph then .25 mile cool-down (10 miles total)

Morning: Ran 2 @ 7:16 pace (14:32 min) -  Then Rode 18.5 @ 18.5 mph (60:11 min)

So far, so good on the hip. I could hardly feel anything today (any pain that is...). This week has been a little light on the biking but at least I've run 6 miles :-) 12 pm to 1 am nights are getting to me! I posted on my blog comments yesterday the calorie comparrison between one of my 70 mile running week and one of my latest biking weeks. I though I would show it again since it was interesting (at least to me)!

"Ok...so I went back and looked at my last 70 mile running week. I burned 8,765 calories. I then went to my latest week of 214 miles biking and 2 miles running. I burned 13,325 calories ... Hummm interesting, don't know what it means but it's interesting."

Psalm 4:8
I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, LORD, will keep me safe.

Added 21 miles this evening:

First 10 - 19.7 mph -- 1 mile slow down rough road -- Second 10 - 17.6 mph for an Avg. of 18.6 mph (HR 144 avg.)

Total Biking miles today = 33

Yesterday evening and this morning haven't been good days for biking. Yesterday evening, as I was riding in the dark, I ran over a rattlesnake. I couldn't see it until I was about 10 feet away. I didn't know what to do so I just aimed for it's head, ran over it and as I looked back it was flopping around and wiggling. I'm sure I didn't kill it but I'm glad it didn't bite me. I've always been a little afraid when I run when it's completly dark about stepping on a snake. I did stumble over a dead amimal one morning in the pitch blackness.

Then, this morning as I was speeding along about 20 miles per hour, I came up on a big black dog in the middle of the road. I hit him before I could even slow down. Luckly I did not crash. I think it really scared the dog too.

The last problem I had was another flat. As I was riding down this road I hadn't been on for a while (the same one where the black dog was) I came to a low water crossing. To my suprise they had done road work and there was gravel about the diameter of a quarter all over the road. Needless to say I couldn't slow down quick enough in the darkness and hit one of the rocks... Ahhh another flat. I carry a spare and after a few minutes I was back riding but at this point I was disgusted so I just turned around and went home. Oh and to top it all off, my Garmin won't work this morning :-(

Biked 12 miles @ Unknown Speed

It's all the woman's falt :-{

Genesis 3:13
The LORD God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

I was just tired this morning so I turned off my alarm and rested for an extra 45 minutes. Finally got up and decide to run. After I had run about a mile I decided to run 4 today since I had some extra time (since I didn't bike) and since my hip seemed to be feeling good. Here's the results:

 

9/16/2011
Mile	Time	HR	HR %	2 Miles Out and Back
1	7:47:00	143	73%
2	7:43:00	158	83%
3	7:35:00	162	86%
4	7:30:00	165	88%
Total	30:35:00	157	83%
Pace	7:38:45	75 Deg.

I'm really thinking I almost there in regards to recovery. I've run 10 miles this week. I'm thinking about 15 for next week.

2 Chronicles 32:24

 About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the LORD gave him a sign that he would recover.

1 Corinthians 9

 ²⁴ Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. ²⁵ Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. ²⁶ So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. ²⁷ Rather I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others.

Now this was a tough day....! 81 biking miles by myself in the heat, humidity, wind and rain. Throw in a few leg cramps and you've got one of those days where you wonder..."Why am I doing this?" I had to put the bible passage first because that's what kept coming to my mind as I "slogged" through the ride (sorry Joe, had to borrow your word!).  I started out about 8:30 thinking it would be a nice day for a long ride. The temperature wasn't supposed to get about 92 degrees. My first mistake was taking my hilly route going out. As I got out about 5 miles the wind kicked up and I was riding in either a head wind or strong side wind most of the first 30 miles. Even though it was tough I was thinking, this will be nice to have a tail wind going back :-) Wrong....At about mile 30 or 35 the wind switched direction which ment a head wind going back home. On top of that the thunder storm clouds were building in the west and I was heading right into them. The first 10 miles coming back wasn't to bad, except for the head wind, but right after that man...did the wind kick up. (when I got home I looked on the internet and it was up to 20 mph gust). At several points in the ride I slowed to 10 mph and it was really,really hard! The worst came at about mile 65 where it started to pour down. The wind was blowing so hard that when it shifted to the side it almost blew me off the road. Luckly, with the heavy rain, there was hardly any traffic on the road. I think only 2 cars passed me on in the last 15 miles. (I can't imagine what they were thinking...ha ha...no they were thinking "what an idiot!") I was so glad to get home..! My overall speed was 16.2. I'm supprised it wasn't 10 or 12.

Today was a good learning experience for me...Not in biking or running but in my Christian walk. Why don't I exert myself, push myself, sacrifice my body, my mind and my heart for Christ? The answer is simple...I don't take the depravity of my sin and Jesus's death on the cross serious enough! If I did, I would put out all my effort to follow him and be obedient to his will in my life. I need to focus on the clear goal in sight... the real crown...!