In June, I set a goal to swim every week, averaging 11 laps (550 yards) each time. I did it. So, in June, I:
Biked 82 miles
Swam 1.25 miles
(As it turned out, the triathlon in July that I was looking at was on a Sunday, so I didn't sign up. And I didn't set any running goals.)
In July, I decided that rather than increasing my swimming distance, I would improve my speed. I started doing my first four laps with no stopping, and then did 7 more, with breaks. At the end of the month, I could do 4 laps in 6 minutes flat, and could do all 11 in 18 minutes 14 seconds. That was improved from roughly averaging 2 minutes per lap previously.
The second half of July was horrible biking weather: heat, strong winds, and lots of sporadic thunderstorms that lasted just long enough to drench you, but not long enough to help any crops. So, in July, I:
Biked 53.6 miles
Swam 1.56 miles
Then, the pool closed for 2 weeks. Then, classes started. I didn't make it to the pool at all in August. I've still been biking, but I stopped counting miles.
Anyway, there's my follow through.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Leapfrog
When I go to campus, I generally do a combination of biking and riding the bus so that I can avoid biking up the hills. This morning, as I was biking to the transfer center, I saw another biker, wearing a blue-green shirt, who was headed toward campus. He did not take the bus.
I got on the bus, and it took off toward campus. As we were coming up to the first stop after the transfer center, we passed* the same biker wearing a blue-green shirt; once the bus stopped, the biker with the blue-green shirt passed the bus and continued on. The bus passed the biker, and then stopped for more students, and the biker passed the bus. Then we both stopped for a stoplight. Since the bus was behind a long line of cars, the biker got across the street first and started up the hill. The bus was just about to pass him when it stopped to pick up more students, and the biker pulled ahead. At some point on the hill, the biker got off his bike and started walking, and the bus passed him.
I got off the bus and pulled my bike off the rack in front, then headed toward my building. As I locked up my bike, I saw the same biker with the blue-green shirt, bike put away, walking toward his building. It's really not faster to take the bus. Of course, I don't take the bus because it's faster; I take it because I'm a wimp with hills.
* Note: The biker was on the sidewalk and the bus was on the road; passing did not involve going around and pulling in front of one another.
PS: On my way back to the transfer center after my class was over, I crossed a street at the same time as another bus. It stopped to drop off riders, and I passed it. It passed me a little further along the street. Then it stopped at a stoplight, and I caught up. It passed me again, but it had to travel a farther distance to navigate some one-way streets and end up pointed the right direction at the transfer center, so I beat the bus there. (No, this was not all downhill; the portion where I was playing leapfrog with the bus was mostly flat.)
I got on the bus, and it took off toward campus. As we were coming up to the first stop after the transfer center, we passed* the same biker wearing a blue-green shirt; once the bus stopped, the biker with the blue-green shirt passed the bus and continued on. The bus passed the biker, and then stopped for more students, and the biker passed the bus. Then we both stopped for a stoplight. Since the bus was behind a long line of cars, the biker got across the street first and started up the hill. The bus was just about to pass him when it stopped to pick up more students, and the biker pulled ahead. At some point on the hill, the biker got off his bike and started walking, and the bus passed him.
I got off the bus and pulled my bike off the rack in front, then headed toward my building. As I locked up my bike, I saw the same biker with the blue-green shirt, bike put away, walking toward his building. It's really not faster to take the bus. Of course, I don't take the bus because it's faster; I take it because I'm a wimp with hills.
* Note: The biker was on the sidewalk and the bus was on the road; passing did not involve going around and pulling in front of one another.
PS: On my way back to the transfer center after my class was over, I crossed a street at the same time as another bus. It stopped to drop off riders, and I passed it. It passed me a little further along the street. Then it stopped at a stoplight, and I caught up. It passed me again, but it had to travel a farther distance to navigate some one-way streets and end up pointed the right direction at the transfer center, so I beat the bus there. (No, this was not all downhill; the portion where I was playing leapfrog with the bus was mostly flat.)
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