1/2 Marathon Hell Week: Thurs.

Okay.  Today was going to be my "big ride" day.  I was going to skate 20 miles at a medium fast pace which would be my longest ride of the four (five including race week) weeks.  This was the last day to push myself before easing down to rest for a few days.

9 miles in at Shelby Farms

Well, I made it 10 miles.  I rode the Greenline then went up and around Shelby Farms for a while when all hell broke loose with the weather.  It stormed like a beast.  The temperature dropped at least 10 degrees.  I was skating through pockets of warm then cold air as the wind picked up so fast that it almost knocked me down.  Luckily, I made it back to the Visitors center where all of us temporarily stranded by wind and rain conditions waited out the storm and for rides back home.  And thankfully, Lindsey answered my texts and came by to scoop me up.  She got me back to my car so I could change clothes and get dry.

Ride ruining rain

Well, the one thing I did get to do on the ride was try out my Eastside Rain Wheels.  I can't recommend them enough after this first ride.  Riding these 70 mm center set wheels I could pump and push with confidence.  They didn't slip out at all.  Only my first time riding them, but I recommend them highly.  Eastside Longboards

1/2 Marathon Training Week 2: Post 1

WEEK TWO (part one)!!!!

I couldn't wait to get to the Memphis Greenline to skate on Monday!  After two days off a board I was stoked to get four urethane wheels under my feet.  I skated approx 12 miles an hour for an hour.  Not as fast as I'd like, but I think it is already a respectable time for an old man like me.

Tuesday I decided to change things up a bit this week.  I incorporated both the pushing and pumping workouts into the same session.  It was so nice outside it only made sense to enjoy the weather.  I compare the workout to fartlek workouts for distance runners.  Fartlek training mixes periods of speed work with slower training to help a person mix pacing.  If you want to hold a pace, but be able to pass someone only to go back to pace, fartlek training will help.

I pushed for speed for a block, slowed to a moderate pace for the next block, pumped for a block, and went back to moderate pace only to start over.  My body feels much better starting this second week.  I then hit Tobey for a little roundwall for about a half hour before grabbing a bite for lunch and heading to work.  It has been a good week so far.

Oh, and Wednesday I'm taking off from distance training.  I plan on skating on Saturday and Sunday mornings this weekend (the weather is supposed to be perfect) so I know my body will need a day off this week.

Before I end this post, I'd like to give you this link:

http://www.razoo.com/story/Hannah-Wants-To-Help-Habitat?1329684971#.T0Fh_eBXqX8.twitter

It is Hannah wants to help habitat.  If you feel the desire for a little do-goodery, throw Hannah a few bucks, and she'll give them to Habitat for Hope.  They are the charity organization helping to put on the 1/2 Marathon I'm training for.