BRICK

So we had lower temps on Sunday. Less humidity too. Unfortunately, that was the one day I couldn't run or bike outdoors. On Monday, I had the opportunity to get in a quick brick and I was hoping the weather would still be nice. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the garage door to feel another 100% humidity day. Grrrrrr....

Fortunately, on my bike I can deal with crappy (and even hot weather) much better than when I run. My time was limited, so I decided on 45 minutes on the bike, followed by a 3 mile run. I have to say that while I am scared to death of crazy drivers on the road, I still have a love affair with my bike. To me, riding a bike doesn't feel like a workout...it's fun! I think that comes from me riding my bike up and down our street with my friends as a kid. I associate it to those fun, carefree days....you know the ones - when you wake up on a summer morning and wonder whether you're going to head to the pool, ride your bike all day or maybe just run through the sprinklers and lay out for awhile. Then again, maybe if I'd incorporate more intervals and speedwork into my rides it WOULD feel like a workout, lol.

I decided to wait for the sun to come out a bit more before heading to the nearby neighborhood where I like to ride. I killed some time in the areas of our neighborhood that are still being developed. There's a nice .65 mile loop where I did some intervals - 2 fast, 1 slow - for a few miles. Then, I finally headed out to my favorite roads to ride and actually mis-judged my mileage a bit (oops!). I ended up riding for 55 minutes (~14.75 miles), which only left time for a 2-mile run. There were quite a few people out on their bikes, which was good to see.

For the run, I hopped off my bike, put it and my helmet in the garage and then headed out (thinking about transitions in my head, of course!). I ran the easy, peasy two mile loop around my neighborhood. I tried to push my pace a bit, thinking that I was probably going to be completely anaerobic after a swim and bike during a tri. The result? Two miles at a 9:16 pace! Yeah, I've always been the 10:30 pace person...maybe 10:00 if I really pushed it. But 9:16? About a month ago, I rode 15 miles and ran a 3-miler at a 9:35 pace...so I think something I am doing is helping! Honestly, I think it's the Insanity program - I mean, you are in an anaerobic state for 30 minutes to a hour during those stupid workouts. (At least I am!) I think I'm getting used to that...which I know can be good and bad. Anaerobic is supposed to be great if you want to burn calories, but bad for building muscle (I think). Oh, and by the end of those 2 miles, I was definitely anaerobic...not quite ready to puke though. ;-)

Anyway, I am pleased with the workout and had a great Labor Day with the hubby and kiddos! Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend too!