Dog Jog 2012

Cross Training

Here's us at the finish line last year.

Don't know if you knew this, but it's not particularly easy to switch back and forth from running to biking. You'd think "in-shape is in-shape, after all." Besides, the motion of running is fairly similar to that of biking... but you'd be wrong. Just ask my husband, who has to listen to me complain about the soreness of previously neglected muscles any morning after I switch from a more highly favored form of exercise to another.

For example, there is something about the free form style of running that hits more minor balancing muscles in the hips, feet, and ankles - especially after hill training. And so the story of my training has been these last few months as I've attempted to prepare for both our Cross Country trip and a few races I have planned for the summer.

The Race

Which brings me to the quads, which I've found to vary in soreness based on sheer speed. Yesterday, for example, Latah and I competed in our 3rd Los Alamos Dog Jog. Or should I say, Latah pulled me to a speedy 2nd place, with a time of 22:25 - a 35 second improvement over last year. And, because my husband talked me into a short 12-mile bike ride once we got home, my quads are now so hopelessly sore, I've been hobbling up and down the stairs like (as my sister puts it) a hunchbacked gorrilla who's been ostracized from the rest of the clan for being lame and walking weird.

But of course, with great challenge comes great reward! Latah and I brought home a $50 Pet Pangaea gift card, boutique quality dog treats, and a $25 gift card to the Running Hub. Add to that the free t-shirts and the $25 Second Street Brewery gift card Deziree earned for carrying her pathetic (borrowed) pooch across the finish line, and I think we made out quite nicely :)

100 Miles

Things are becoming more and more real as our plans come together:

David in the 2009 Tour de Los Alamos

Travel Prep

I bought two one-way tickets to Portland, Maine this morning! So we're definitely getting there, but we'll be relying on our own two wheels to get us home. Also, I took a "100 Places to Visit" quiz this morning and discovered that the Portland Head Lighthouse is a must-see on that list, which will be #37 on my list!

Supplies

We used our REI member coupon to order me a touring saddle, so certain parts of me are definitely looking forward to enjoying. We'll also be in Albuquerque this week for David's Professional Engineering exam, and we'll celebrate his successful completion of the test with a trip to REI to SPEND OUR DIVIDEND!

Training

In Los Alamos, "The Loop" is a popular route for cyclists, as well as a standard unit of measurement for training. It's 30 miles, mountainous, hot, and finishes with a huge uphill climb. The Tour de Los Alamos, a local race we hope to do as training, published this map of the Loop course.

We hope to complete two consecutive loops in preparation for the Santa Fe Century (100 miles). David tells me that if we can master the mountainous terrain of the high desert, the rest of the U.S. will roll under our treads like butter.