Pulse Check

Every now and again, we need a pulse check to validate ourselves. Sometimes, the mind plays tricks on the body. Inside the mind is that thought that says "You can't do that, it's too hard". But its the body that has the last word when the body tells the mind to "shove it". Its always easier to just listen to the mind and call it a day.

Today, on the eve of Eagleman, I wanted to complete a brick workout as a pulse check to see where I stand with regard to my training. Planned was a 50 mile ride and a 10k (or more if I'm feeling up to it) run. I didn't exactly prep for today's workout however (went to sleep after 12 and drank a few too many cervezas), so I just hoped for the best to see what I could do with minimal preparation.

The results:
Bike - approx 45-50 miles
Run - 6.28 miles
Time: 3 hours 35 min

Overall, I felt good. The bike went very well. Only problem was that my precious was not behaving and took a while to get working right. Oh yea, and part of the problem was my fault for forgetting to hit start again after waiting at the light to cross the street (I do that way too often). Nutrition was great. This was my first ride using the Profile Design Aero Drink WITH the bracket. Wow, what a difference. Much more secure, except for the stupid yellow splash guard. I tried duct tape to hold it, but if it gets wet, it becomes useless and peels off. Still working out those details. On the bike, I brought with me, 1 bottle of water, 2 bottles of Accelerade, 1 Cliff Shot, and 1 Cliff Bar. This turned out to be a perfect amount of food for me for the distance. My legs felt pretty fresh and never once had GI issues. I would have liked to know the exact distance, but from previous rides, I know that it was within my goal range.

Once off the bike, I moved my gear inside my apartment and with a quick transition and clothing change, I was out on the run. I brought with me my Fuel Belt with three 8 ounce bottles of water and 1 Cliff Shot. I think this was my mistake. For such a hot day, I should have brought more water and calories. I started off great, but probably way too hard. However, my heart rate was only in the low 150s, so I figured I'd just go with the flow and keep the pace as long as my heart rate was low. Below are my mile splits:
- Mile 1: 7:51
- Mile 2: 8:08
- Mile 3: 8:30
- Mile 4: 9:33
- Mile 5: 9:42
- Mile 6: 9:26

I think you can see the trend. However, I will mention that miles 4-6 are ALL uphill. It is a long climb, and it hurt. While on my run, I experienced some bad cramping right after the 5k mark. My hamstring cramped up and I had to stop for a minute and stretch. Fortunately, I was right next to a water fountain so I drank more water in hopes of getting rid of the cramps and filled up my bottles for the return back. Once I started up the hill, I could feel my quads starting to lock up, so I had to take it slower than I wanted. This was one of those rare cases where I wish the mind was in charge over the body. Mentally, I wanted to push through the hill and finish strong. However, I knew that if I picked the pace up any faster, I'd be limping home from the cramps. So I plodded along for parts of miles 4-6 until I could push a little more. Of course, anytime this happened, I'd start to feel the pain again. As frustrating as it was, I learned a lot from it about my nutrition/hydration needs for longer races and workouts.

As I spend the rest of the season battling the heat, I will continue to nail down my nutrition in the hopes that I can find a happy medium between both the mind and body.