Super Brick

I've been gearing up (no pun intended) all week for a long brick today, since I am still two weeks out from Alcatraz and don't have enough bike time or brick work. The plan today was 50 and 10. I woke up at 6 a.m. and left the house at 6:45 to meet Cavan at Bonita Canyon Park. From there we headed out to do the Santiago Canyon loop. We cruised up and out past Cook's Corner, then took a quick stretch break, and tempo'd through the Canyon. We were pushing hard for about 12-14 minutes, each taking a 60-90 turn at the front, at speeds between 25-40 miles per hour. I definitely overdid it a bit on my quads, since most of my pulls were on the flat/uphill areas, and paid for it later. The Canyon spit us out at Jamboree and we ducked into a Chevron to re-fill our water bottles. I also downed a vanilla crisp Power Bar, which did not sit well after the ride was over. We rode home along the Santa Ana River and through the Back Bay. Total for me was 55 miles on the bike, averaging about 18 mph, which fine for that ride given the starting and stopping at traffic lights.

After I got home I hung up my bike and quickly as possible, threw on the running shoes and headed out for a 6-mile tempo. I did a "warm-up" mile down to Back Bay road, and got going at the first mile marker. I wanted to get in 4 "road miles" and finish the last two on the CdMHS track, before jogging home. The target was 5:40 pace for the first few miles, but I went out a little too hard the first half mile. The first four splits were 5:29, 5:41, 5:41,5:45 (uphill). The fourth mile finished right at the track so I jogged over to the finish line and tried to drop the pace. I probably over did it a bit, because the next mile was 5:15. I hadn't taken water at all on the run and knew it wouldn't end well if I didn't get fluids in my system so I took a 2 minute break before the last mile to get water at the pool (jogging the whole time of course). Water was a good call; I finished mile 6 in 5:08.

At this point I was 7.5 miles into the run and sufficiently drained, so instead of extending my cool-down, I took the most direct route home down Jamboree, which unfortunately has two large hills. Near the top of the first climb, my right quad started cramping up, and had I taken 1-2 more steps, it probably would have seized up. I slowed my pace to a near walk and targeted the gas station for a water fountain. Wouldn't you know, they didn't have one. Rather than take faucet water, I tried to jog home at a ridiculously slow pace, and luckily I made it. Somehow got up the last hill to PCH without any issues, made it home in once piece.

Totals for the day, 55 miles on the bike, 10 mile run (6 up-tempo). Tomorrow should be another interesting day.