Beer Drinkers Appreciation Society (BDAS) 2023 Mentor Group - ALWAYS OPEN (Page 90)

see, that's why I don't go to the gym, scary stuff

All of this sounds like a totally normal day at the gym to me!


I did have one weird thing yesterday when I went to lift weights with my nephews at their gym. All the weights were on the rack and they were in order and there were two of each size dumb bell sitting together and people were re-racking their weights after using them. It was bizarre!! :D

Gretchen....WHAT?! I just can't with your stories! Glad you're okay, and nice work keeping the 17 yr old from driving in a tornado. I think the school will understand!!!

Hey guys, guess what?

I'VE RUN TWICE THIS WEEK!

It has been absolutely beautiful here! I got a 30 min ride in both Tuesday and this morning (about 3 miles each time, Tues was 9:10 pace, this morning 9:25 pace). I had pickleball last night too. I really love this sport. I don't know why, but it is just a blast to play.

Haven't done much otherwise...though I did clean my house, and I'm working on finding a new cleaner so I can get back to having a spotless house (and motivation to keep it that way) again. I am going to use a company rather than an individual so hopefully it's more consistent. I've been pretty distracted at work and think it's because my house is messy. This always causes my brain to be messy too.

Wanted to check in quick. Happy to see you all continuing to crush it!

WOOT!!!! Keep it up!

Training today was a little derailed (pun intended...see below). I had a 90' ride planned with some critical velocity intervals. Unfortunately, my read derailleur got a little bent in yesterdays excitement, so while it was okay at a Z1 gearing, when I tried to shift to something a bit tougher for my intervals, I was deafened by the noise. I didn't want to deal with that for 90 minutes, so I hopped off and switched into running gear and did a 60' anaerobic interval run. It was super windy, so my slow (RPE) jog home with the wind at my back was nearly as fast as my Z4 intervals into the wind. I also managed to run my bike up to the LBS about an hour away and they fixed my hanger/deraileur in about 10', which is great, because I want to ride the trails again on Monday before I go home and I told my nephew we'd go ride on Saturday, which I will not count as a training session!

Glad you could fix your bike quickly. Have fun with the kids!

Well done on the two runs! Much easier when the weather getting warmer, isn’t it?

Pickleball sounds like fun, over in Europe, we have paddle tennis, which is similar. So are you going to start playing this regularly too, on top of the football, volleyball and tri training?

Floorball tomorrow again. This time, if everyone that said they would turn up do, we’ll be 16, which means we can play on a bigger surface with 5 + goalie on each team and 2 substitutes. Will be fun but at the same time, probably a lot less to do for me in goal than last time.

Other than that, a 14k slow run today and a bike ride tomorrow (probably on zwift, the weather is bleeeehhhh).

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Nathalie—I need to look this floor ball up. Any game with 5 goalies has to be interesting!!

As for me…I’m excited Aussie rules football season has started! I got hooked when I went to Aus two years ago and now I pay to have access to the games. The only problem is all the games start at obnoxious times over here. My team (Essendon Bombers) played yesterday, the game started at 9:45pm. Ummm…heck no. Good thing I can get them all on repeat! Plus…no ads on the replay. I have plans to watch today between swimming and taking the boys bike riding.

Up early for a run this morning. 45’ of slow recovery run. I took my parents dog, because she is being a crackhead and needs some exercise. It is farm country, so I don’t even think they own a leash (not one I could find, anyway!). I ran 3.5 miles. I’m pretty sure she ran 10. She streaked around in the fields like mad. I couldn’t even see her had the time, but the second a car turned on the road, she was right next to me laying down on the shoulder. I thought it was amazing, since my dog acts like every car is an enemy of the state that must be destroyed!

Later this afternoon I’m going to take my nephews on a bike ride at the local trail. I have no idea how this is going to go—I hope their bike tires don’t have dryrot! I’ll be riding my dad’s bike, because I have no idea how to ride slowly on my tri-bike. Ok…I guess that depends on who you ask, but I know I can’t ride at the 6-8mph I expect these boys will go on a tri bike. I’d fall over!

Not 5 goalies, 5 outfield players + 1 goalie.

What makes you think your nephews will be very slow riders, aren’t they teenagers? I am sure they will be much faster than 6-8mph

5 outfield players and one goalie makes much more sense!

My nephews don't do much physical activity, so I just figure they aren't in very good shape. I was right...we ride 2.5 miles in 25 minutes--6mph.

Heavens to Betsy do I have a training day for you all!!

That run this morning was the best part of my training day!

Took my nephews to the gym to do their weight lifting and my swim session at about 9. I didn't notice the signs that said the lap pool would be occupied with lifeguard training today, so I ended up having to do my swim session in the "therapy" pool, which is about 12.5yds across the diagonal and heated to 80F. Plus, there was a cadre of old women in there. I'm not 100% sure what they were doing, besides standing in the pool chatting, but every once in a while one of them would move a leg up and down in something that approximated water aerobics. I got in a lot of practice sighting and swimming around things, as they were drifting across into the middle of the pool at times (I'd already asked if they were cool with me swimming the diagonal, since they seemed to be staying in one corner anyway). There was also an older developmentally disabled man in there (maybe early 50s or so) and he seemed to think it was a game to try to be in the way. No big deal--more sighting practice. Two things that really sucked were pushing off from the corner--I kept catching my toes weirdly--and the fact that I have no idea how far I actually swam. I estimated based on how long I swam and my normal slow pace. I couldn't get up to any kind of speed because the pool was only five strokes across (without any substantial push off). Oh well. I didn't over heat and I got the swim in.

The bike...it is a big of a saga that fits the bill of no good deed goes unpunished.
After about an hour of checking bikes and airing tires and making sure the brakes worked on various bikes, we found three that were somewhat appropriately sized for the three of us (nephew 1--14 yo; nephew 2--15yo; me). I had my mom's Schwinn 7 speed, Nephew 2 had my Dad's Schwinn 7 speed, and nephew 1 had his own bike. Nephew 2's bike turned out to be WAY too small when we pulled it out of the barn. He has grown a ton and there was nothing I could do to make it even remotely fit him, so he was going to ride my Dad's bike. We drove down to the trail and once we get there Nephew 2 puts on his helmet and it won't clasp. It doesn't even fit on his head (no joke--it doesn't fit on his head). I tried it on too, but no dice there. Ugh...so, I gave him mine and was just going to hope not to wreck. In Illinois kids under 16 have to have a helmet on, so it was the only solution other than going and buying one (and I don't know where a store would have been from where we were). Anyway...already this is starting to feel like not enough fun to justify the effort. Then, we mount the bikes and start off. Within 10' Nephew 2 says he can't ride my Dad's bike (he can't--couldn't reach the pedals). Okay...so we swap and I'm riding my Dad's bike and N2 is riding my mom's bike. Thankfully he doesn't make a stink about it being a girl's bike, because I might have had to kill him. I have N1 take the lead, figuring he is the youngest, so he'll be the slowest. I don't want us to get too spread out, because these boys are situationally unaware and would likely ride right out into the street. N1 is doing totally fine...he doesn't know how to shift, but a couple of basic shouted instructions to him and he figured it out pretty quickly. N2 rides like a drunken sailor!! He was swerving all over the path (thankfully not too many people out) and for some reason his feet keep flying off the pedals. I have no idea what is going on. I try to teach him how to shift, but he doesn't get it, so I told him to put it in the middle and just push harder sometimes. He nearly crashes into me three times. We rode 2.5 miles. I'm almost glad when I break the derailleur on my Dad's bike and we have to quit. I have no idea what happened, but we'd just made a turn and I was putting it into a harder gear to maybe give myself a bit of a better workout than I was getting and all the sudden the derailleur has flown up and is caught in the chain guard. I'm wondering if the hanger wasn't bent and so when I shifted it got caught up in the spokes and ripped off the frame. Anyway...Dad's bike is no longer operable. Thankfully, 1.) we aren't far from the car and 2.) we have just turned off the section the trail that is close to the road. I walk Dad's bike back to the parking area off the trailhead and then take Mom's bike from N2 and ride back to the car. I'm the only one who can drive the car, so I left the two of them with the bike. It took me 6' to ride back to the car on my Mom's bike (which looked a bit like that scene in Wizard of Oz where the Wicked Witch is riding the bike, to be honest).

Add this to the tornado on the first morning I was babysitting, the ceramic vessel I broke last night, and the fact the check engine light came on in my Dad's (1 year old with 13000 miles on it) truck when we were driving home and they may never ask me to babysit again!

I hope everyone else is having a good weekend! I'm off to improve my day by watching the opening game for the Bombers (Aussie Football)!

That sounds like a fun ride! Not! When you say your nephews aren’t physically active, you mean that. What 15 y o cannot ride a bike?

Oh well, at least you kept them alive through that, and the tornado. I say your job is done.

Swimming in a short and warm pool sounds also like fun. I have to admire your dedication, I would have said f@@k the swim.



Edited by Rollergirl 2024-03-17 7:15 AM

Nice week Mike!

Just came back from playing floorball. Had a blast, we were 14 people (like half the company!) in the end, a very good turnout. Even recruited another goalie at the last minute, our CEO himself.

So much fun, even if let in far too many goals, about 12 (anything above 0 is too many mind you)

Off for my first outdoor ride of the season now. Weather is too gorgeous to Zwift indoors, even if it’s quite cold, I’ll just layer up.

Have a nice Sunday!

Nat! Your dedication to outdoor training in the cold is impressive! I HATE riding in the cold. I literally won’t go out below 60F. I don’t care how sunny it is, the wind chill factor still gets me (I have zero cold weather riding gear). On the other hand…I do love to run in the cold.

Awesome work! Keep at it

@Gretchen, Sounds like you have had an 'interesting' training week. Glad that the only damage to trixie was a bent derailleur hanger. Your unwillingness to skip a workout is impressive. If most of us show up to the pool, and it's closed for some reason we just don't swim. Doing diagonal laps in a physical therapy cause is commitment to the commitment. Way to go.

@Nat. Nice to see you had another good floorball session. I'm pretty sure though, any saved goals are due to your individual brilliance, but any conceded are because the rest of your team didn't defend well.

@Mike, Nice list of workouts you've ticked off on your first week away. Keep on making those gains.

Rest day for me, although I’m feeling antsy.

Weekly totals:
Swim 9075.00 yards 3h 53m 43s
Bike. 60.81 miles 4h 49m 17s (doesn’t include some trainer miles, does include SLOW miles with the boys)
Run15.04 miles 3h 19m 29s
Strength1h 40m

So, my rest week was pretty close to what was planned. Not enough morning runs, which turned into less time on the bike/in the pool as desired. But hit all the key workouts (which this close to Half Marathon 1 for the year means running)

Swim, 0, zilch, nada
Bike, x1, 1hr 15 min on zwift @ about 70.3 race pace.
Run, x5, 4 hr 45 min, 36.6km,
S&M, x2 stretchy sessions, 20 minutes.

I also had a ride with young ones, but even less impressive (but also much less dramatic) than Gretchens. Mr 6 has recently learnt to ride his bike without trainer wheels, and has decided that riding with Daddy is the best thing. I don't feel the TT rig is appropriate, so have brought my single speed out of retirement and spent quarter of an hour riding around the local school with him. 0 training benefit, maybe bike handling practice? But a happy 6 year old, so that's nice.

This week is my peak training for my this half marathon cycle. And it's a little intimidating. Even accounting for limiting the length of my Z2 foundation runs, which I've been doing avoid ramping up mileage too much to soon, I'm looking at 7:45-8hours just running. Including 3 pretty tough looking workouts. It's going to be interesting.

We don’t see the sun much at the moment, so when it’s out, I don’t care if it’s only 3C (about 37F) I am not spending 2 hours indoors staring at a screen. We have a saying in Sweden which says “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing”, it’s all about wearing the right stuff. I have loads of cold weather gear, mainly designed for golf, comfortable, not bulky, breathable and all that. It works for riding too.

I had a lovely ride, slow as F**k (by my standards, very fast for Huey and Dewey) but it was all about enjoying the outdoors and getting some T ITS

A pretty decent week for me
3 rides (one intense spin class, one long slow ride, one short Zwift workout)
2 runs (one intervals, one long slow run)
1 half arsed S+M session
1 floorball game which I am counting as an intense S+M session)

Total about 8 hours. Happy :)



Edited by Rollergirl 2024-03-17 3:42 PM

Wow, just wow

Yes, you nailed it

Well done on hitting the key workouts, almost 5 hours running is pretty good for a rest week I’d say. Good luck with this week’s program!

Same (re the swim)! I would've been like, okay well that decides that workout....You truly are the most dedicated person I think I've ever met!