Where Now?

The main goal for this year, conquering Mount Mitchell, has passed. I defeated that silly mountain, have recovered, and now I’m ready for new and exciting challenges.

I came to cycling through a running injury. The plan was to rehab the injury through riding and eventually start running again. As I got more and more comfortable on the bike, the running plans were pushed further and further back. As Mitchell got closer, I decided that I would start running afterward. After all that training, my legs are quite strong, especially my quads and hammies. The thought was I would start out slow, possibly using the Couch-to-5k program, and gradually get back into the swing of things. From there I could focus more on running as cross-training, or perhaps take a stab at doing triathlons.

That all sounded good until this week. It got hot, real quick. Too hot to run, sorry.

I did three group rides this week. Tuesday and Wednesday were in 90+ degree heat and I felt it. As I hit a tough hill or tried to sprint, my heart rate jumped up fast. I found myself getting winded quickly and could not ride at full strength for very long. On Thursday the heat had subsided a bit. It started above 90, but cooled quickly and we had a strong wind that took the edge off. I felt great and rode strong.

That brought back memories of last summer’s running, which was hot and hotter. If I didn’t get up early in the morning, I didn’t run. Eventually temperatures will hit 100, probably sooner than later. When that happened last year, I did more running on the treadmill. This year, the last thing I want to see is a treadmill, much less the inside of the gym. Cycling is still tough in the heat, but it is a lot easier than running since you can hydrate easier and you are moving faster.

So no running for now. Since I am in such great biking shape, I will keep on keeping on. In the Fall I may gradually get back into running shape, and definitely will in the winter for cross-training purposes. The question is whether I’ll be running to run, or running to become a better cycler. Right now I suspect it’ll be the latter. And I think I will do Mitchell again and try to beat my time.

Speaking of which, this will be a busy weekend for me. I’m doing a double century in Hartwell, GA, then on Monday I will scoot over to Greenville for the Cycling Pro Championships. Next week my wife and I are taking in a Bed and Breakfast in Saluda, NC, where I’ll certainly mix in some cycling while she sleeps in, and I’ll sneak off to do the Fletcher Flyer on Sunday. Late in the summer I’ll be participating in Blue Ridge Breakaway, and a yet-to-be-determined major mountain challenge sometime in the Fall.