It's been a while, eh?

Yeah, it's been a little while since I've posted. I've had an idea for an entry here and there, over the last month or two since I posted, but I procrastinate, and I just don't do it. For me, the time that I found easiest to post new entries was when I was actively training for the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge, which was preceded the week before by the Tour de Lake Hopatcong. I haven't been actively training since then, for a variety of reasons, therefore I haven't been posting.

The biggest reason I haven't been training, I posted a couple entries about - my back. Now, it's not really that much better, and I still haven't seen a doctor for it (stupid? Yes, of course. That's kind of my thing), but I have found a way to make it much more managable...lots and lots of core work. Which is good and bad - I desperately need to tighten up the middle, and core work does make you a better cyclist. I hate doing ab/core work...that's the bad part, but this back issue will keep me doing it.

I've actually done a fair amount of riding this week, starting with a group ride with Skylands, and followed up the next day with the TdLH route. Funny thing - the same semi-mountainous route that is so much fun, when you're training for it, is not nearly as much fun when you're 15 lbs heavier (pure fat), and you've only been on the bike about eight times in the last two months. I mean, epic fail. I did the ride with my friend Garrett (who's also the mechanic at my LBS), who rides a single speed mountain bike up ridiculous grades on a regular basis, and it was just embarrassing. He kicked my ass up and down that route. Well...maybe not down, so much...the added weight makes me one hell of a descender.

Overall, though, I was pleased...simply finishing a course, especially a tough one, without getting shooting pains down into my leg, is an accomplishment in itself. A month and a half ago, I literally thought I was going to have to sell my bikes. It was that bad.

Awful condition, though, absolutely awful. I've gone on two semi-recovery rides since then, 31 mile rides (same loop both times) that I can do from my front door, keeping about a 17 mph pace, and it's weird...first of all, my heartrate still hasn't really come back down to my normal resting rate...it's about 10 bpm faster than it usually is; on these two rides, it was higher than normal, and while it comes back down to 100 fairly quickly, it takes forever to get down to 90. My lower back is a little sore, which is a concern, but hopefully, that's just because I haven't been on the bike nearly enough lately.

So from here on out, I'm considering myself back in training, full time. I'll be getting back into the gym, on a very regular basis, for core, pilates, yoga (it can't hurt, right?), some weight training, and possibly some spin classes as well. Hopefully, I can be under 200 lbs in about 5 months. I've taken a couple pics of myself, sans shirt...they aren't flattering. I'm picturing them being the "before" pics, in about six months.

Hey, what could possibly go wrong? ;-)