Bike Riding, Rocky, and Running

Next week at this time I’ll be riding my bike up and down rolling hills during a relatively short duathlon that starts with a 2-mile run then transitions to a 12-mile bike then another 2-mile run. I participated in the same race last year and, honestly, I don’t know if I’ll do any better this year. The area I can improve the most is cycling, part of the reason I joined a gym– to strengthen my legs, so I’m really interested to see if I’ve gotten stronger in the last 12 months. Well, stronger and more strategic. I might hold back some on the first two miles so I can give more during the cycling, and for the last 2 miles just give it as much as I can. That’s what Rocky would do, right?

I’m just hoping it’s not as cold as it was for Rocky’s training. As you know, north Florida had snow recently so training outside for this fair-weather guy was not happening. Well, I did do a cold bike workout once (a week or so before the snow) and it was as unpleasant as you’d imagine.

Even though I don’t feel as prepared as I did last year at this same time, I’m pumped about the race! It’s been too long since my last race so it’s time.

-Out of the Wilderness

I Ended All My Streaming Services Except One

I don’t know if it’s because it’s winter and everything is dark and dull (not true, I live in Florida but you get the point!), but earlier this month I ended almost all of my streaming services. The only one I kept was Spotify. You’d think I’d be adding services on account of being cooped up inside, right? I guess I’m contrarian like that.

For TV stuff, I scroll through YouTube movies and the Roku Channel. So far, I haven’t been suffering from withdrawal as much as I’d predicted. Did you know most libraries have DVDs for free checkout? I will try to find new movies (if they’re on DVD at all) and watch them that way, downside is there is a waiting line sometimes. I’ve also become slightly obsessed with reading. Right now my favorite author is Frieda McFadden. If you haven’t read “The Housemaid” yet, turn your computer off immediately, go to your library, and reserve it. You won’t be disappointed. OK, you might be but that’s a reflection of you not the book! Wow, sorry, I got a little hostile there.

Maybe this part of the year can be called the pruning season… cutting things out of my life and daily schedule that I can probably do without, at least for a few months. Kind of like winter. Wow, deep stuff. If I keep getting along OK I might not ever add services back although I miss the Elvis Channel and it’ll be fun to catch up on shows I like, “Tracker” for instance.

Have you done any cleaning up on your subscriptions? What did you cut out? What did you keep?

-Out of the Wilderness

The Duathlon Race is 9 Days Away

There are a few areas in my life where I have anxiety. Triathlons (and duathlons) is generally the good kind of anxiety. There’s a duathlon (run/bike/run) coming up next weekend and while I’m not sure I’ve trained properly, it’s short enough that I hope I can get by on the exercises I’ve been doing in the last couple of cold months. By the by, this winter season more than any other, I’ve decided running and cycling in cold weather is part of the training I’m going to actively avoid in the future. Why? Because it’s cold and I like being… not cold!

The upcoming race is two 2-mile runs with a 12-mile bike sandwiched in the middle. The cycling part does make a little nervous after my epically goofy accident in my last race (read about that here). I’m usually not accident-prone but boy was that a doozy! I’ve ridden my bike enough since then to calm most of my concerns, but I haven’t done a race yet. Just… don’t have so many cones on the course, OK!?

Of course one of my goals is to be faster than last year. Actually, that’s my only goal. Well, that, and don’t flip over my bike again… which is a goal that should go without saying. Although it did turn into two of my favorite (most expensive) photos.

-Out of the Wilderness

Of course it’s Kansas City and the Elgles 🥴

Another year… another Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl appearance. Do I think the referees are in on it? Everything I see says “yes” but I can’t really figure out how that would be possible given the amount of people who’d have to go along with it… from other NFL teams, team owners, staff, etc. But at the very least it’s suss, as the kids say. Very… very… suss.

It would have been more entertaining and less annoying to watch the Buffalo Bills play against the Eagles (or is it the Elgses?).

Of course, the NFL tried Super Bowls with the Bills in the 90s and those experiments never really panned out so I get it. Bring in Mahomes. Bring in Kelce. Bring in Taylor. Cash rules everything around the NFL. It’s in the entertainment business, after all.

-Out of the Wilderness

Upbeat Cycling Playlist

I went out for a bike workout recently and lately I’ve been bringing along my headphones. It helps on long rides, let me tell ya. I don’t actually mind a quiet ride but when it gets to 45 minute, hour, hour plus rides, a little music goes a long way. For this ride, the night before I had planned on going through the entire new album from Judah and the Lion but the morning of the ride I was in a different mood. Not a talk radio mood, I’ve tried that on bike rides and it just doesn’t work for me. So I queued up the songs from my Run Music 2 playlist and yesterday during my ride, it was perfect. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot of NF, Connor Price, and Muse. Songs like “Spinnin” and “Trendsetter” from Connor, “Clouds” and “Hope” from NF, and “Survival” and “Madness” from Muse. If those don’t help keep your heart rate up, I don’t know what will! Now if I could just get my speed up too, wouldn’t that be nice?

Here’s a link to the playlist.

It depends on the day, I guess, but I like listening to things that make me feel *insert emotion here*. Sometimes I want to feel like a conquerer. That’s usually when I go with the playlist above. Other times I need to feel deep conviction while I workout… so I’d go with a worship playlist. Slow songs but overflowing with emotion and that can get me going. Then there’s the angry workouts. I don’t need music for those, actually… my thoughts can be enough fuel. But those are few and far between, thank God!

Do you have any suggestions? What’s on your hype playlist for running or cycling?

-Out of the Wilderness