Exercise Roundup, Week of 4 July 2011

It was a spectacular week for exercise. I hit the goal of five days and got in two long bike rides, thanks to the holiday on Monday. Read on for details.

Monday: Rode 42 miles in under three hours, as documented in a previous post. Excellent!

Tuesday: It was so hot and humid outside, I felt compelled to go to the pool and tread water for my exercise today. I considered treading for 35 or 45 minutes but, honestly, treading water by yourself is boring. I did my thing for 30 minutes and then got out, feeling refreshed.

Wednesday: My friend/training buddy LuAnn and I went for a bike ride in the morning, about an hour I think, maybe a little longer if you count the time to and from our meeting point. On the return leg of the ride, we decided to go single file as fast as we could, rather than trying to stick together so we could talk, etc. Other than having to slow down for some geese that were meandering across the trail, we really kicked it and got the blood flowing. I climbed Evil Hill 2 to get home, which was difficult but certainly not as hard as it was when I first did it earlier this summer.

Thursday: I didn't really do much exercise today, although I did hang out at the pool for a bit, which was nice!

Friday: My friend Jenny and I went for a brisk 45-minute walk in the early morning. We thought we'd beat the brutal DC summer heat and humidity by leaving at 7am. Au contraire! It was already nearly 80 degrees when we set out and I was sticky before we'd even left the neighborhood.

Saturday: Completed another 35-mile round-trip on the Mt. Vernon trail (photos to follow). I really wanted to hit that 2.5-hour time and was somewhat disappointed that I didn't. Total time: 2:43. Not bad, but I want to be faster. Still, I always feel so terrific after these long rides, especially when I know I've pushed myself.

Sunday: Tomorrow will be a day of rest.

A la prochaine!