Tags

, , , ,

I set a new PR last week – 110 hours of work, or work related activities including transportation to/from the west coast of Denmark.  By the time I arrived back in San Francisco, I was here in body, but not mind following an exhausting week to cap a month of business trips.  It took all but a whiff of fresh air and a favorable weather forecast for me to get excited again, not to mention a care package from Taylor, a couple episodes of The Voice and a promising weekend of outdoor activities ahead.

On the plus side, I kept loose in Denmark by doing yoga before each of our long sessions and going on a couple of runs.  I also brought resistance cables with me to “lift weights”, and some activity was better than nothing.  I even caught a beautiful sunrise on my last full day:

Not pictured: 30 degree weather

Not pictured: 30 degree weather

My goals for the weekend were simple: run hard, bike hard, eat a lot of treats, and log either a lift or swim if at all possible.  Taylor and I kicked off the weekend festivities with a trip to China Camp – a trail network popular amongst local mountain bikers, but great for trail runners as well.  We logged 10 solid miles with moderate elevation gain on a perfect 70 degree afternoon.

photo 3 photo 4

I devised a slightly less pleasant workout for myself on Sunday morning and was determined to try something new.  After an easy 2000m swim, in which I split 26:30 for the mile and 33:30 total, I mapped out a very steep bike ride.

EKG or bike elevation profile?

EKG or bike elevation profile?

I often climb Hawk Hill as part of my long rides, and once climbed the steep, 900′ incline from the base of the Golden Gate Bridge to the Hawk Hill summit twice during a ride.  Although I still have weeks to put the final pieces in place before Wildflower, a solid climb up Hawk Hill would be a good indicator of my fitness level – especially considering the recent travel.  I climbed from top to bottom three times in a row, logging almost 4000′ vertical over 26 miles.  It was a good day.

With Wildflower three weeks away and Ironman training kicking into high gear 20 weeks out of my A-race, there couldn’t be a better time to arrive back in San Francisco without any travel on the horizon.