Texas "hill" training

Living in north Texas has brought me a new appreciation for wind. It's really blows here, especially in the spring as mother nature tries her best to let winter go with a bang. Just north of here, in Denton, there isn't much to break the wind between Oklahoma and Dallas. The wind is definitely stronger.

So yesterday I hopped on the bike with some friends and set out for a 30-ish mile ride. Because we don't have much in the way of hills here, I kind of look at these windy days as a simulated hill. You crawl up these mountains when the wind is right in your face.

I was really dreading the west wind even though I knew it'd be great training. The guy who planned the route said that most of the wind would be at our faces for the first 10 miles or so. Man, he wasn't kidding. There was a bridge running west-east that brought me down to the granny gear in a hurry and I still barely made it to 10mph. We had to stop several times along the way to re-group our tribe of 10.

Another downside to strong, gusty winds is that they get you off balance in a hurry if you don't anticipate it correctly. We were on a great sideroad with no traffic and were turning onto another road. I was yapping, not paying attention like I should have. Sure enough, between a turn, a gust of wind, and gravel, I ended up on my side in an instant. It scared me for sure as I'd only fallen off the bike one other time as an adult, and that was right when I got clips (yeah, you all have experienced that, right?).

This time, it hurt. Though I got right back up and took a breath, we continued on. We were only six miles in, but I thought I could stick it out. Thankfully, I was able to, but the first chance I got when we stopped at a roadside gas station, I downed a couple of Aleve to help it out.

But the great thing about going into a headwind is that a tailwind is sure to follow. At about 11 miles in, we turned east into a tailwind so strong that I was averaging about 20mph and coasting; barely turning the pedals at all! It rocked! We got another one of those bits later in the ride and it felt as if we were flying down the road! It's such an incredible feeling.

The last six miles were on beautiful, smooth pavement and on a road with a wide shoulder. It was right back into the wind again. We continued to just limp through it; at times it almost felt as if we could get off the bikes and walk faster. Granny gears on flats are tough on the ego. :)

But we finished. And we headed to a great pub in the square of old Denton that served us huge burgers. We wolfed them down in earnest.

On the way home, I swung by one of those urgent care places. The shoulder was throbbing from the fall and I worried that something might be cracked, or at least torn. I squeaked in about 5 minutes before it closed. Sure enough, the doc said that I'd dislocated the shoulder, though it'd popped back in place. The tendons near the clavicle (I think) were torn slightly. He gave me a sling and a prescription and sent me on my way. No swimming for about 2 weeks at least and minimal work on the arms. He said that being in good shape helped that it could've been worse. Whew! (By the way, thanks for making me drink so much milk as a kid, mom!)

So it looks like it'll be a week on the spin bike for my exercise since it's the least amount of motion. I'm just thankful it wasn't any worse.

Sometimes an old love calls to you and wakes you up again inside.

The roads have been my partner for about six months now. They're straightforward. Predictible. Safe.

Getting back on the Northshore trail was like finding an old boyfriend from 15 years ago. He's familiar, but changed. You know him, you know his faults, you know his great areas. But still, he's grown, a bit new, yet still comfortable.

There were surprise twists and turns I didn't remember. There were a few ups that made me stop to rethink what I was doing and some downs that were pure joy and fast. The trail wandered around and many times, I really wasn't sure where I was. Then occasionally, I'd come across a spot I'd been before and sighed with relief, only to wind up in another new area. There were turns I wasn't expecting. But the warm friendliess wrapped itself around me.

A calm came over me at times when all I could hear was the wind, creaking limbs, and the occasional critter scampering under the brush to avoid the heavy foot pounding. I could hear my heart and my breath. I could feel the sweat from the warm air on my face and body. It was as soothing as curling up close.

An hour later, I was spent. I was in my happy place. Maybe it's a relationship worth re-kindling.

Progress!

Well you've heard me whining about the weight. It momentarily dipped below 160, but it's back again. But the good thing is, the fat must finally be turning to muscle. Clothes are fitting better. I'm content with that.

Yesterday, I ran about 75 minutes after work. It was gorgeous. On the way home I stopped to pick up some dinner. As I left the grocery store, I caught a glance of my legs in the reflection in the glass door exit. For a moment, I didn't recognize them. They looked more athletic and toned, like runner's legs should look. They're looking less like those hearty turkey drumsticks you see at the fair and more like solid machines. There's still work to do, but it was a nice surprise to notice the difference.

And today, a lady at work mentioned that she thought I was skinny! Really?! That might not be the word I was thinking, but it added to yesterday's shift in perception.

I'm content. I'm feeling better.

To top it off, there is definite progress in the way the training is going. The mileage last night was tough as it's ramping up over the week, but it was do-able. We had a great, hearty spin class on Wednesday night, so it felt good (and hard) to come to the week's long run with tired legs. While I didn't finish the time or mileage prescribed last night, I felt as if it was an accomplishment. I'll take it.

I'm content. I'm feeling better.

Thank goodness next week is a step-back week. It's tiring right now with the increasing intensity!

Train hard y'all!