Goal: 1 hr. spinning
Rode: 1:10.

Watched the remainder of the Fellowship of the Ring while riding for just over an hour. The battle scenes are definitely much better for training than the gentle canoe trip down the Anduin River. Overall, the movie was good for distraction from the pain and discomfort of being on the trainer.

I really don’t like the trainer. I find that real world riding is much more inspiring, comfortable, and fun. I just can’t seem to switch positions as well on the trainer, and there is never any coasting. I probably coast more than I should while I ride, but it helps to rest the legs a bit every now and then. Plus, it is just boring to ride for an hour and not move a single inch. I need something to distract me from the boredom. When I am out on the roads, I can be inspired by the changing scenery, or at least from the passing miles.

Hopefully, I will be able to hit the road soon.

Tags: training, bicycle, cycling, bike, LOTR, boredom

Having met my basic goal last week, it is time to amp up the self-flagellation. I also need to get more specific with my goals. All my rides have been primarily spinning on the trainer. It is time to start working on strength as well, by increasing the resistance a notch.

Sunday: Ride 1 hr., spinning
Monday or Tuesday: Ride 45 min., strength
Thursday: 1-2 hrs., spinning
Friday or Saturday: 1-2 hrs., spinning

I need to get in more time on the trainer. In addition to leg strength, I need to regain posterior toughness.

Tags: training, bicycle, cycling, bike, goals

Managed to meet my goal of riding 3-4 times. I rode three times on the trainer for a total of 4hrs. 20min.
I wanted to ride either Friday or Saturday nights, but I had other plans that came up and interfered. Even though I need to train, there are still higher priorities. On Friday, my son and I were home along and watched Star Wars: A New Hope together. Time with him beats training. By the time the movie was over, it was time to call it a day.
On Saturday, I needed to spend time with my wife. Again, there are more important things than riding the bike.

Tags: training, bicycle, cycling, bike, family, kids, wife, Star Wars

I took Tuesday and Wednesday off from the bike. Tuesday I played basketball with the guys from my basketball team. I guess you can count that as cross training, right? Wednesday night, I had to stay with the kids while my wife was at a meeting for Christ Community Church. When she got home, we spent the rest of the evening talking about the meeting and the exciting things that are in store for the church. More on that will show up in the main blog.

So, Thursday night, I really wanted get some training in. We had some friends kids over for dinner, so I had to wait until after they left and our kids were in bed. I finally got out to ride the trainer.

After we watched TV together while I rode the other night, I have been exiled to the garage again. My son kept coming out the complain about the noise from the trainer, and the fact that the TV was turned up so that we could here it over the trainer. I decided to set up my laptop on a table in the garage where I could see it. I ran the Fellowship of the Rings DVD while I rode. The chase seen as they tried to out run the Nazghul to reach Rivendell made for good riding.

The goal was to ride for 2 hours. I managed to complete the goal, taking two short breaks. Now, I need to expand my goals for next week to ride longer, and to ride longer with fewer breaks. But first, I need to increase my posterior toughness.

I made it to the battle scene in Moria. Tomorrow night I will try to ride for an hour and finish the movie. It makes it much easier to ride for that long with a good distraction.

Tags: cycling, bicycle, training, The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, basketball, church, kids, children, basketball

My son is in a youth basketball league. It is under the umbrella of Upward Basketball. This is a league that modifies some of the rules to make sure that all the kids get to play and have fun. They also have devotions at each of the practices, and at many of the games.

I am coaching my son’s team, and having a blast. There are nine guys on the team, all in fifth or sixth grade. We spend most of our practice time scrimmaging. Because there are only nine players, either I or another coach frequently participate in the scrimmages. It is a blast to get out on the floor with them and play.
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