Group ride, cutting back , NSV's

Group Ride Monday

So yesterday i went on the Monday ride. Generally there are three a week here (yes i am lucky) Monday is meant to be intermediate, Wednesdays is super fast, Thursday are Beginners. Well Monday are really getting out of hand. Maybe it is because everyone is at home watching Tour de France. and getting super pumped up. The average speed now in Mondays is 22mph which is way fast for me. I treat as my one crazy ride when i go. Last night i managed to keep up for about two thirds of the ride then i got dropped. Please do not get me wrong it is not through lack of trying. They are just super amazin. Most of them are cyclist alone and i am a Triathlete. This means they can ride 6 days a week sometimes where i do 3-4 a week. I like the challenge though. Basically my HR sat at 150-160 the whole time i am with them, breathing very hard, and then i get that hang on by the seat of your pants feeling. I am getting tunnel vision and i am all over the road which is not safe trying to keep up.

In times before they will split into an A and B Group with the B group avg 19mph or so. I do much better in the B group but all my B group buddies don't show up anymore as it is getting too fast. My B groupers all come to the Thursday night ride which we do 18mph average. Allot of the faster guys call this there recovery ride lol! It is still 28 miles same as Monday but much better pace for me. Thursday are a no drop ride to so i do not have the fear of getting lost.

Speaking of getting lost i am REALLY tempted to but a Garmin Edge 605 or 705 as it is made for bicycling and has turn by turn directions. Nashbar is having a 25% off sale for three days this week on stuff over $100 so that would make it $300. But i just can not bring myself to do it. (Plus Mrs MilktheCow was not thrilled which i totally understand)

I would like to know what my Cadence is while i ride as i want to practice keeping it at 90 which is meant to be the most efficient. Most wireless computers with Cad are at least $70 boo! Guess i will keep it old school for now and count how many strokes i take in 10 seconds and multiply it by 6.

New Training Plan

So i downloaded a training plan that was WAY to hard on me last week. 3100 swims x2 a week etc. So i got a different one yesterday. It is a training plan for intermediate Olympic distance and it seems much more doable. I am going to run through the whole plan and see how i feel.

This weekend there is a local Duathlon. 5k run 50k bike 5k run. This has kicked my butt before as there are allot of hills on it. This year i am thinking of just doing the 50k bike race they offered for it as i am loving biking right now in this weather and running not so much.

NSV's
This week at Weight Watchers we talked about NSV (non scale Victories) These can come all sorts of ways. I know i have had a few after losing 220LBS. Some are i have made as goals but some are unexpected. I think the unexpected ones are the best. They are very important especially when you are at a Plataea or just feeling down about yourself.I am going to list some of them here that you may never have considered.

1.  Less Laundry. Yes this is weird. When i was washing size 6XL shirts it took up allot more space in the washer than my now size L shirts. A weeks worth of clothes could of been 5 loads for me. Now it would be one. Of course all the workout clothes i go through add up but still. It is amazin.
2. Less plane luggage. Also unexpected, with smaller clothes you take less luggage on the plane! Amazin!
3. Laptop can be used as a laptop. Yes i can now seat my laptop comfortably on my lap instead of having to find a desk in an airport!
4. Spare shelf in the car seat! Yes now i have this space between my legs in my car seat that i can actually put things on (Just not hot coffee!)
5. Never worrying about what car to rent or buy. It used to be i would have to seriously consider how far back the seat would go from the steering wheel when i would buy or rent a car. Not anymore. In fact i drive one of the smallest cars available in America (Chevy Aveo). I know it is a bit of a loser cruiser but as a second car to my Honda minivan it is great!
6. NO seat belt extender on Airplanes. I fly allot for work it was SO imbrassing asking for a seat belt extender. I looked at ordering my own on line but they cost allot. When i hear people asking form them now i feel their pain. I no longer use them, and i can get the tray table down no problem. I never have to worry about someone sitting next to me and me being in their space as i hated that feeling.
7. Buy clothes Anywhere. Yes! i can buy clothes at almost any store. I do not have to go to specialist stores and pay tons of money for just OK clothes. I still remember the absolute THRILL of buying a shirt at Old Navy the first time. I was literally shaking with excitement.
8. I can feel my Hip Bone! Did not know i had one.
9. I can see veins in my arms, wrists and forehead!
10. My chin does not hang down. No lose skin below it.
11. I can shower really fast.

OK that is enough for now. Maybe you can let me know some of your NSV's