Well no bike today. I am so disappointed. Not really. I just didn't feel comfortable driving to a bunch of locations with it today and riding in an area I am unfamiliar with. Plus there is a dust storm warning for this afternoon when I would be riding.
Instead I am going to hike up Camelback Mtn. Its not really a mountain but a tall rock in the middle of town and there is a couple of really strong hikes to the summit. Its a point of pride to get up the Echo Canyon trail as fast as possible. Under 30 minutes is considered 'Awesome' and under 25 minutes will get you a 'Holy Crap' rating.
When I lived in uppety trendy north Scottsdale, I climbed Camelback frequently. I once hit 29 minutes on my watch but 33 minutes seemed to be about the average. Not very inspiring really. Back in 2001 as I was getting ready for the Bataan Death March marathon, I decided I would run from my house to the summit and back, meeting a friend at the mountain for the up & down. I ran the 9 miles there, climbed the mountain and the 9 miles back. Total trip was around 21 miles.
Today I would be happy with 40 minutes. Its going to be over 100 degrees and the rocks will be radiating heat. Some rocks will be quite hot as will the metal handrails that can be used for the steepest sections. Luckily coming down has a good breeze.
I miss these types of cross training sessions. Training for specific races like marathons and Ironmans make me feel like I am trapped into a specific training mold and if I swapped a 12 miler run or 50 mile bike for a trip up Camelback, I would feel like I am cheating myself.
Anyone else feel that way, or have no problem breaking their training mold.
Instead I am going to hike up Camelback Mtn. Its not really a mountain but a tall rock in the middle of town and there is a couple of really strong hikes to the summit. Its a point of pride to get up the Echo Canyon trail as fast as possible. Under 30 minutes is considered 'Awesome' and under 25 minutes will get you a 'Holy Crap' rating.
When I lived in uppety trendy north Scottsdale, I climbed Camelback frequently. I once hit 29 minutes on my watch but 33 minutes seemed to be about the average. Not very inspiring really. Back in 2001 as I was getting ready for the Bataan Death March marathon, I decided I would run from my house to the summit and back, meeting a friend at the mountain for the up & down. I ran the 9 miles there, climbed the mountain and the 9 miles back. Total trip was around 21 miles.
Today I would be happy with 40 minutes. Its going to be over 100 degrees and the rocks will be radiating heat. Some rocks will be quite hot as will the metal handrails that can be used for the steepest sections. Luckily coming down has a good breeze.
I miss these types of cross training sessions. Training for specific races like marathons and Ironmans make me feel like I am trapped into a specific training mold and if I swapped a 12 miler run or 50 mile bike for a trip up Camelback, I would feel like I am cheating myself.
Anyone else feel that way, or have no problem breaking their training mold.
4 comments:
When I have event, I train for the event and stick to the mold. Maybe this summer I'll use local race events as lactate workouts.
One of the reasons I didn't sign up for a big event this summer is so that I could do stuff like go hiking or kayaking or just take a more leisurely bike ride. I didn't want to be training for something big. It's nice to have the freedom and to have the energy to do stuff like that instead of being wiped out from long, hard training sessions.
I'm fine with mixing it up, a bit. But during training for a major event, I try to avoid "new" or "risky" sports. Let's face it, how insane would it be to train for 6-12 months for an Ironman, and then blow your knee up or break a limb playing basketball or pickup football?
I too feel as though I'm cheating myself when I deviate from "the plan". It sucks. This is part of my reason for "retiring" from Ironman. I love structure, and in many ways, I need it, but I hate being bound to punishing long runs and rides that just plain suck. I've found that I need some structure, but the long distance is starting to wear on me. Hence my decision.
I've been reading your posts lately and you seem so at peace. Like you've discovered something that has been missing for a while and you're really enjoying it. I too want that in my life. I too look forward to riding as far and as fast as I want. I too want the flexibility of an extra rest day, or maybe some cross training.
Anyway, I still have a lot of things to figure out, but your blog has certainly been a source of clarity for me lately. Thanks for that. See you Friend
Benny
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