Back at it

After a weekend off the smarter eating wagon with NO exercise, I got back on the bike today despite it still being pretty darned cold up in the attic cycling room where the trainer is.

We are in the middle of stretch of frigid weather that is going to last about two weeks, with high temps in the single digits and lows well below zero at night.

For example, on Sunday morning the actual temp was -15 with a wind chill of -35.

On today's Carmichael, I added a slight twist, which I'll cover here next in case you would like to do the same.

In a Carmichael, they have the last 10 minutes, from :35 to :45 as an easy-effort cool down time. I find that's too long for a cool down and it can cause me to lose interest in even finishing the thing. So I add one more middle/hard effort in to take me to :40 instead.

So...instead of going all easy at 35, I add in a middle effort two minute to :37 and then one last hard effort for one minute to :38 followed by one more two-minute middle effort to take me to an even :40. NOW, at :40 I take a five-minute easy cool down to the finish.

This just feels right and keeps my interest until the end.

Be flexible with your Carmichaels. But keep the basic structure of effort levels and recovery.

I am now always keeping MPH in mind....speedo watching.

On the effort levels;

Easy=low 13's

Medium=low 15's

Hard=17's

2021 OUTDOOR

RIDE ROUTE-- Neighborhood Crit, 6 laps

MILES-- 10.7

AVE. SPEED-- 14.1

WEATHER-- Partly Sunny, 36, Wind 0-5

TOTAL OUTDOOR MILES-- 10.7

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2021 INDOOR

WORKOUT-- Carmichael

MILES-- 10.7

TOTAL INDOOR MILES-- 171.2