Monday, May 2, 2011

The Wind

Love is the wind
The wind is my love
Who knows the wind?
Where blows my love
The wind is my love.

--from the song "Wind" (lyrics by Bob Bruno, performed by Jerry Jeff Walker)

I doubt that Bob Bruno or Jerry Jeff Walker ever trained much for running or biking on Hatteras Island. I think it might be worse in the spring than in the summer. Just about everyday there is a strong wind that is hard to escape since almost all routes are out and back.

The wind makes it difficult to know just how good or bad training is going because it has such a big impact on how fast I run or bike. Further, I don't have an understanding of what kind of training benefits there are from running and biking into a strong headwind.

A typical bike ride for me is about 20 miles. I've been running about 2 to 3.5 miles. Almost everyday I do at least a ride or a run--some days I do both.

Late this week and early next I expect to be on the track running. I'll have a better idea of my conditioning after a few days on the track. I do know that I'm still too heavy.

1 comment:

Sub 5 at 50 miler said...

Yes, wind slows you down overall on an out and back course. This year the Boston marathon saw a "world record" and many other extremely fast times due to a tailwind, but that is point to point. I remember running an informal mile race one summer against Dave Cody (Chris Cody's older brother). It was very windy, and we battled it out, running over 4:50! We were both capable of at least 4:30s at that point. Also, one year, we went to the Penn State relays, and it was extremely windy and cold (my sophomore year?). I ran the mile in a distance medley in the 4:40s due to the wind/cold. They also chipped the ice off the steeplechase water pit before the race. Once guy fell in the 33 degree water during the race!
When we returned to Bing, the bull had blown off the Vestal Steak House.