I've just noticed the blankness of this layout. There is minimalist design - so chic, so understated - and then there's the total lack of any design that I've still got going on here. Pardon the ascetic appearance for a bit, while I try to work on just getting something written every day or two. Before too long I should have it looking just a little bit snazzier.

I'd put money on this being the hottest week of the summer so far here in the hills of southern Ohio. To tell the truth, the mid-90s just coming around now isn't so bad; a few weeks ago it was positively heavenly. The high 70s, soft breezes, skies clear as a bell. A little unseasonable for July, and no, that couldn't last. Blazing hot or not, it's been a good week for getting the workouts in. I've been a good boy. After a ragged sort of recovery week following Evergreen Lake, I'm back on schedule and it feels good.

That schedule said "brick" yesterday.
So in the evening myself and a ride partner hit up Rock Riffle - that's a route that goes south of town, up into the hills and back down and around again. Either way you go, you're going to get one decent, honest (but not sickening) climb, a bunch of rollers and upsy-downsies through the small farms up there, and a long fast descent home that should push the speedometer into the 40s. Take it the way we did, and you get the long, slightly less steep slope a few minutes in. It's a quick warm-up, which is good because I was feeling pretty rubbery in the legs at the start.

J, my sometimes ride partner and one of the few people left in town over the summer, hasn't been training that much with our group for the past 8 months. Hardly seemed to matter at the race a few weeks ago, as he dusted me on the bike (I put a few minutes into him on the swim, which only goes to show that he needs to work on his swim, if I can beat him) - no need for a tri-bike or aerobars. Then he annihilated us all on the run - 37 something for the 10k. That college track background probably helped him there; I'm not sure I could match that on a motorcycle. I do think I'm halfway fast on the bike - 1:08 ain't embarrassing, though I do have some speed to gain. That said, I wasn't really feeling stupendous for most of the ride last night, at least in the hills, and half the time I seemed like I was a couple knolls behind.

40 minutes of that stuff, then a short, high-cadence spin along the bike path to unwind the legs and check out the young ladies walking their dogs. Bid our adieus on the path, get myself home, change out quickly and head out on a half hour run in the still-arid 8 PM heat. I wasn't feeling terribly swift. I'm not terribly swift.

Today was an hour and a half ride on the bike path. I want some flatland speed; my next Oly boasts a super-flat bike course along the shore. Looking to get that average speed closer to 23 mph. Pushing the last five intervals - a minute on hard, a minute off - just stewed my legs. And I will feel it tomorrow. The foam roller I ordered last weekend, after sampling the delicious pain of hard foam on muscle fibers right before the last tri, can't come fast enough. Please, please let it show up tomorrow.

And it's a rest tomorrow - I'd like to spin out on the bike, just to do something - but that'll only be when and if I get through work.

Labels: bike, brick, heat, rock riffle