Addicted to Exercise

My leg was better today, but it was still pretty tight, so I rode on the cycle trainer again and then did some core. It felt good, and I had my heart rate going pretty well. I got massage this afternoon, and I feel much better now, so I’m going to do a run tomorrow morning. Thankfully, it looks like it won’t be too cold.

The back of my leg is still really tight, so I skipped running and just rode on my bike trainer. I rounded things out with some core exercises. Hopefully my leg will be back to normal tomorrow morning, but if it’s not I’ll do the same thing again. I’ve got a massage scheduled for tomorrow afternoon that should fix it either way.

I had planned to ride a little bit this morning, but I ended up having to take care of some errands instead. I was pretty wound up this evening, so I did a quick ride on the cycle trainer and then did some core exercises. I didn’t want to tire myself out before this weekend, but I did need to blow off some steam!

I was really busy with work and errands today, so I didn’t have time to go to Town Lake or the gym. I found time this evening, though, to ride on my bike trainer for half an hour and then do some core exercises. It was a pretty good workout, so I’ll take it.

This morning I found my driveway covered in a layer of ice and realized I would be staying at home once again. So, I did another hour on the bike trainer. This time, I did more of a steady-state effort. I tried to keep my heart rate consistently up towards the easy-run range, and that worked pretty well. Afterwards I did some ab and hip exercises plus a little bit of stretching. Hopefully I can go outside and run again soon!

The news people said it was best not to go driving today, and my work was closed. So, I didn’t even try to head to the gym. Instead, I did a couple rides on my indoor cycling trainer. I did half an hour in the morning and another half hour in the evening, followed by some ab and hip exercises. Usually when I ride, I am just doing recovery and getting some motion in my legs, but today I wanted some intensity. I did some intervals and managed to get my heart rate up pretty well. I need to practice that more often, though, because my legs were definitely the limiting factor. All things considered, it was a decent workout, but I’d really like to go outside!

After my long run yesterday, I drove to Houston to visit some friends for the rest of the weekend. A couple of us had planned to go on a bike ride this morning as long as the weather was all right. There were some storms in the area, but things looked reasonably clear, so we went. It was about a 29-mile loop around some neighborhoods and back roads. We saw several other cyclists out there, too. It was nice and flat, but there was a serious headwind through one section where there wasn’t anything built up. There was water on the ground in a few spots, but we didn’t go through any rain. It was a nice and easy speed for me, and it felt really good to just have my legs moving after the hilly run yesterday. I just hope I’ve managed to rehydrate enough.

I had a fun little ride this morning. One of my friends from Houston came into town, and he wanted to try riding in the hills we have here. We originally planned to ride a bit farther than we did, but we ended up having to do a pretty short loop because the hills were tougher than he thought they would be. I measured about 23 miles for the trip. My buddy said he’ll do some strength training and we’ll try it again soon.

It was absolutely beautiful outside today, so I could not resist heading out on my bike this afternoon. I hadn’t ridden since September, mostly due to the time change taking away my Friday-morning rides and partially due to spending so much time running. My original plan was to go ride about 20 miles, and I wish I had stuck to that. I started with a couple other guys who were going longer, and I felt good, so I decided I wouldn’t turn back until about 15 miles out, and then there wasn’t a good place to turn around, so I went a little more. I got a bit uncomfortable on the way back. I just wasn’t used to being in that seat, I guess. I guess it’s okay, though. I scored just under 35 miles, and I think it did my legs some good.

The plan this morning was to do the same thing as last Friday: Ride down to the park south of Kyle, play in the water for a bit, and then head back. It started off well enough, but I was feeling pretty tired by the time we got to Kyle. I think the speed was a little bit faster than the last time, but I was much more tired than I figured I should be.

We made it the rest of the way down there, and the water was really nice. I enjoy just floating and relaxing in the water, and I could do that all day if I didn’t have to get back. I did try some actual swimming, and it really does wear me out. I’ve got a lot of work to do if I’m ever going to complete with that.

After a quick snack it was time to head back. We were really moving fast on the way back for about the first half of the trip. I was beat a few miles from the end, though. I just had no energy left, and I’m not used to that. All in all, it’s about 23.5 miles each way, so I did get that in, but I’m going to have to make sure I get some good rest tonight.