Brick Workout #1

Hi. It's Laura. 

Happy Monday. 

Saturday morning was my first brick workout for this season. 

A brick workout is a back-to-back workout of a bike ride followed immediately by a run or it could be a swim followed by a bike ride. Either way both simulate how you would feel in a triathlon. A brick is double entendre: 1) the workouts are layered like bricks on top of one another 2) after a long bike ride your legs feel like bricks. (Double entendre are not always sex based. Get your mind out of the gutter.) 

It has been nine months since I have done a brick workout. I was feeling a little anxious about the whole thing on Friday. First, I the ride itself needed to be 1:45. The 10 minute run to follow.  The island of Manhattan is getting a little too small for these long rides. I have to head to Jersey.  

I have heard for years how beautiful the ride is just over the GWB. Last year I made it into NJ once on a long ride. And without knowing where I was going, I figured it out (after the wrong turn that nearly got me onto the Palisades Parkway, oops). 

So, knowing that I needed distance, I was definitely headed to Jersey.  

On beautiful Saturday mornings in the City, crowds are everywhere you go. The plan is get out early and be done before all the big groups like "Team in Training" start hogging up the roads and parks.  

Friday night I got my things together. Everything I would need to move from the bike ride into the run was stuffed into my bag: A towel, sunglasses, running hat, suntan lotion, and sneakers. 

Next to the bag I laid out most of my cycling gear. For some reason, I neglected to take down the bike and helmet. We have a vertical bike rack in the apt and in my mind it was ok to leave it up instead of getting it near the door. So the bike and helmet stayed on their hooks. Which is not really a big deal unless you are trying to get out early. Based on the weather channel app, I chose my outfit. The weather is such a challenge in training.  

Saturday morning. 

Up on time. Good start. Base layer; shorts; knee socks; shoe covers; suntan lotion; skull cap; helmet. 

I generally always ride with contact lenses. I popped them in before walking out the door. My left eye felt a little scratchy. I figured it would work itself out as it usually does. Right out of the gate, I decided I was underdressed. The temperature was in the low 40's and I was already on my way. I hoped that I would warm up. At the first traffic light, I donned my skull cap (I had originally shoved in my saddle bag thinking it was a bit warmer) and zipped my jack to my chin. There was not a whole lot I could do about my fingers since I choose regular cycling gloves over winter gloves.  

I headed out onto Riverside Drive. Riverside is great rolling hills ride without a ton of traffic. It is also one of the easiest routes to the GWB. As I head north, I decide I need to fix my contact lens which has not quite adjusted itself yet. I needed a traffic light to do that. I have no problem sticking my finger in my eye usually. However, just 10 minutes in I popped my chain with some aggressive gear changing. grrrr.  

With the chain fixed and my hands covered in bike grease, I decided to try to slide my contact but can't. The clock is ticking, I have got to go. The Husband is my team. He meets me at the end of my ride to take the bike off my hands so I can go run. Back on the bike.  

Riverside is so wonderfully quiet and I know it is not going to last. I see all the cyclists looking for parking and others who are waiting on corners for the rest of their people to arrive.  

Just before I head over the GWB, I make my first pit stop. I do not ride with a bike lock. The one I have is too cumbersome (and necessarily so). I wind up always taking the bikes into the bathroom with me. I forgot about the contact lens although it’s still irritating me. Onto the Bridge! 

The climb up to the bridge is a narrow ramp with a very sharp turn in the middle. Up is not a problem. The first third of the bridge is just wide enough for two bikes to pass each other just don't wiggle or tilt. The middle is wide enough that you are not afraid of hitting handle bars and you could even pass a pedestrian if you needed to. There are two more stations on the bridge were slow is necessary because you are making some technical short turns into oncoming bike and pedestrian traffic. At this hour of the morning, it was still pretty quiet. 

Once over the bridge, I made a right and headed into Englewood cliffs. From the bridge to the end of that road is again more rolling hills that parallel 9W.  

Apparently I was riding pretty aggressively Saturday morning. With four minutes left before I need turn around, my chain fell off again. grrr. I climbed off the road and into the dirt on the side. I quickly needed to climb out because I was sinking into the dirt. It was almost like quicksand. I was struggling this time to get the chain back on. Every time I got it on and run the pedal, it would slip. I also could not lean the bike against anything because of the quicksand like dirt. On the verge of tears, somebody stopped to help me. YAY! He got my chain on lickety-split and off we went. I was so frustrated I once again missed the opportunity to yank out my contact lens which was so irritating but now my hands were filthy dirty. Now, I don't want to stick my dirty, greasy, sweaty finger in my eye.  

Chain fixed, I hit my mark and head back.  

At his point in the morning, cyclists are everywhere. It’s almost like, as they pass each other, they are reproducing. The ride back over the bridge in the narrow parts was pretty scary. No one wanted to slow down and as I mentioned the bridge in some parts is quite narrow. I flew back once I made it over the GWB. 

South on Riverside you don't really have to worry about the traffic light because no cars come from the right and the cars that do enter only enter from the left. It also is more of a downhill ride home.

I met The Husband and The Dog in riverside just a few minutes before our designated time. I was quite surprised to see the amount of people in the park. I headed out extra early to avoid this kind of chaos, the big groups usually meet up around 9am so to see so many was quite surprising. 

Transition was quick and loud. I pulled in and immediately started complaining about all of my equipment while simultaneously changing into my running gear. My contact lens is still giving me a hard time. The iShuffle ear bud clip broke and the iShuffle itself would not stay in place and wound up in my pocket .My hands were cold and I was very hungry. We are at the end so let's just get this done because I get breakfast after this.

We meet near the actual transition spot for the triathlon (very nice to have the race in your own backyard). Out of T2, for race day, is the hill out of Riverside park onto 72nd street. I had such a hard time last year with the hill, I decided that all the bricks this training season would include that hill.  

The run thank goodness was only 10 minutes. I had such a wicked cramp in my right side and my legs actually feel like bricks. I had a hard time picking my legs up and getting my feet off the ground. We should probably call it more of a shuffle than a run. These bricks did not at all feel the way they felt at the end of last season (go figure). Being the first brick of the season, I forgot to stand up on the bike and stretch out a little before I got to transition which caused the cramping.  

I know they get better from here but this one was probably the most difficult brick in training that I have had.  

Once home, immediately run to the mirror to take out the offending contact lens. It turns out it was actually crumpled up and underneath my upper eyelid. Oh, the relief. 

I will spare you the details of my beastly behavior afterwards. I neglected to eat on the bike until it was too late. My blood sugar was way too low. Food could not enter my mouth fast enough at this point. Happily for those around me, the effects of calories ingestion on my disposition were rapid. phew.

We get to do it all again next weekend but lessons learned. 

Play hard! 

Laura