I think this is my new favorite X workout. I switched my schedule this week so that I could work my legs today and rest them before my big rides this weekend. It's an odd combo from a traditional training standpoint but, to paraphrase Tony, I climb rocks and I ski (and I ride bikes and I run). So what do I need to train? Legs and back.
My legs are mega sore from the Giro/X double. This week could be horribly painful. But having just finished L&B I'm feeling better than I did before the workout. Giro rest day might have helped but so did the slow balancy movements of L&B. The first few legs sets were hard. I did worse on them than ever. Then I began to loosen up and finished feeling good. I did, however, also benefit from a rest day over in Italy.
Tony had a great line that's cut out because, well, it's not all that PC. Halfway through he's fired up and says, "This is not #$%(. This is something serious." Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to disclose what it was but it was classic Tony. I hear, though I've never actually asked him, that he came to LA to do stand up. The guy is funny; no doubt about that. But, as is the case with many comdeians, his material is far more suited to a comedy club than family home video. Rehearsals with Tony are a non-stop stream of politically incorrect observations. One of our crew members, Stef, kept saying "wow" at the audacity of some of these. Finally, he made a cue card that just said "wow" whenever Tony was walking the line with a joke. He even used it during the real shoot. I think the only place you might get hear some lines like this are in his "One on One" workouts, if they get released.
I think you're crazy. I think Legs and back might be my least favorite. Of course I have been doing it on Fridays and it always feels like my legs are tired when I start and then the weekend follows and I try to ride and I'm fried already.
ReplyDeleteOf course, just like last week, trying to ride after doing chest, tri, and back is interesting too. I just can't lean into the bars too much because my arms are hammered. Today was alright though because I just did a very easy recovery ride. We'll have to see how they feel tomorrow when I try to time trial. Yikes.
My right knee is a little sore, but I don't think it's serious. Hopefully it will come around as I continue to do all this exercise.
Now, it's time for a drink and some ice for the knee.
~R
My legs are pretty sore today. Plan to time trial up Mill Creek and then do Plyo, all in "record breaking heat". Somehow I don't think my soreness is going to get any better. I may have to use all of my martini ice for my legs.
ReplyDeleteDid a "time trial" up the lower part of Mill Creek today. 30 minutes is pretty pathetic. It was a nice ride but my legs don't have a lot--no, make that any--snap. Plyo this evening is going to be fun. This week is going to be rather hard.
ReplyDeleteDoes your knee hurt in the usual spot? Does it hurt more on the SS or with gears?
It's kind of the same spot, but it has moved around the knee a little bit. I broke my old pedals last week and had to use new shoes and pedals. I think it took me two rides to get the cleats set up right and I think that contributed to the knee pain. But yea, the pain is in the front of the knee just below the kneecap.
ReplyDeleteThe knee has actually gotten a lot better through the P90X stuff, but I think the combination of doing that and doing a bunch of riding has stressed it. I did Plyo today and I only felt it a little during the one legged hopping stuff and a little during the lunges during the warm-up.
I am planning on a timetrial in a little bit, but I have to check the air first. It looks bad and I have had breathing issues last Saturday and Sunday. Ugghh!
I haven't ridden the SS since the knee started bothering me.
~R
Okay, today was hard. Plyo hurt. Luckily--sorta--a wind storm blew out our power with about 20 minutes to go so I took the dogs on an hour or so hike. Hammered the uphills and my thighs felt like they were on fire. At least I've got three easier bike day prior to the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend soft pedaling on the civilized bike to keep that pain from flaring. If it comes back you'll override all of the progress you're making. Plus, you need to be able to ride here in two weeks.
I ended up doing about a 5.5 mile time trial instead of the 14 mile one I had planned. Both knees were feeling it. Then I still went kind of hard for the rest of the 14 miles, but not enough to make the knee hurt. Then I pedaled easy home. I still think the knee is alright, but I probably won't be doing any mountains this weekend unless something changes.
ReplyDeletePlyo actually went the best ever yesterday, so that was nice. I was still pretty tired at the end of a couple of exercises and my HR felt pretty high at times, but I did everything and still felt alright at the end.
So, I think for the next 3 days it will be slow easy distance on the civie.
I am going to do some measurements shortly and take a new picture and post up where I'm at compared to the start. I'll let you know when it's up.
~R
Watching the Giro. It's raining. It's raining here this morning, too. Checked the forecast: rain for the next five days. My virtual Giro is getting too virtual for my liking. Grrrr. 4 hills today. None big, but still. Plus Chest, Shoulders, Arms. This isn't some namby pamby gym experience. This is serious. I think I'll go look for my rain jacket now....
ReplyDeleteAnother hard day, and the first time since surgery that I've done an entire x routine followed by ARX and made it through the whole thing. The ride was cold, particularly the descents. Psyched about two easier days before the weekend.
ReplyDeleteThere're easier days before the weekend?
ReplyDeleteGood job on the workouts. I actually only did a part of the ARX and wasn't up to my best on Back and Biceps. I did do 31 on the bike and my knee feels alright, so I think that's good.
I think my mileage for the week will be somewhere in the 180-190 range. That's more than I've done in a week in a few years. Then of course I have to follow it up with a good weekend of riding.
Sidenote: I rode a few miles with an old guy who does 350 a week regularly. I certainly didn't impress him with my mileage.
~R
Next two days are "easier" because the rides are flat. Ah, soft pedaling. Of course, it's raining right now so it's not going to be all gravy. Looking forward to yoga today.
ReplyDeleteRain? What's that? Oh, nevermind, it's the wet stuff in the air. It was raining here this morning and then it cleared up. But, it's cloudy again and might start raining again.
ReplyDeleteSo, I need to do some Yoga and then head out on the bike. I'm sure it will be great. My legs are very heavy. Yoga will be a chore, and then the ride will be another chore.
Hey, what happened to Mark, Suzanne and Scott?
~R
oops, just read this. reed, i gave up for a bit as i've recently started heavy manual labor on the homestead. just starting keeping up with the blog again but had nothing to contribute other than i find that referring to non-single speeds as civilized inaccurate; remember the penny-farthing, a truly gentile steed...suzanne never got back into a rhythm after hawaii and then placed importance on climbing. that said, you all are doing great, and we will be starting from the beginning of phase 2, again. in the interim, i've gained a few pounds but am sore from moving a little over a ton of dirt last saturday and as soon as it stops raining i'll ride my "civilized" fixie and ss mtb again. btw, have you adjusted the pedals/cleats on your ss? knee pain usually isn't a consequence of how hard but more of improper adjustment. you may also consider the q-factor of your crank as too much or little affects your knee position (yep, i'm one of THOSE geeks). anyway, i hope the both of you feel and perform better! we'll try to catch up, but we're way behind.
ReplyDeletegood luck!
marc
Hi Marc,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you. A civilized bike is one that is made to ride on the roads and not the dirt. Hippies like dirt, so a hippie bike is one that likes the dirt, regardless of number of gears.
I haven't ridden the SS, so there's pretty much no chance that's the problem. In fact, I've been almost exclusively on the roadbike since I'm doing the giro simulation with Steve. At this point I'm not going to worry about Q factor, but I might consider it if things don't improve.
As for the Giro simulation, today I got a little over a mile in. It was sprinkling as I left with thunder and lightning maybe 5 miles away. Within a half mile it was hailing on me and then shortly after that it was a torrential downpour. Then the lightning started getting closer. I turned around and decided to enjoy a warm shower and dinner with my wife instead.
The funny thing is that my legs feel more tired tonight than they have so far. I don't know whether it's just a build up of fatigue, or whether the cycling helps the legs recover a little bit.
Anyway, tomorrow I'll be back at it with legs and Back and then some more riding (as long as I don't get blindsided by another thunderstorm).
~R
Good to hear from you, Marc. Where's Scott? When are we gettin' those beers?
ReplyDeleteYesterday turned into a rest day as I had a project that was due that ended up taking a tad longer than I thought--like 20 straight hours in front of the computer. Not so good for fitness. That's okay, since the end of Giro TT is happening after next weekend since we've got the party and I doubt anyone wants to time trial with me next Sunday. Used my rest day though, so riding each day til the end.
Marc, Reed's here next weekend. We should ride around.
that sounds good steve.
ReplyDeletemarc