Schedules and Labels

Since the weather has been very nice lately around these parts, I am starting to ride my bike more now.  I stopped exercising over the holidays and that was a huge mistake.  I am training for a 5k during the first weekend of March, but I lost a lot of my progress when I stopped running.  As for my cycling race schedule, well, I don't have much of one right now.  Like last year I plan on doing the Tour de Rock in June that benefits CARTI.  I would like to do the Big Dam Bridge 100 this year, but that all depends on where I will be living in the fall and whether or not I can come back to Little Rock for the race.

My training schedule is currently focusing on running.  I try to run three days a week (MWF) and one long-ish bike ride on the weekends.  I try to sneak in some time doing a few weight machines at the gym, but that doesn't always happen.  I have been running on an indoor track.  It is pretty nice and makes it a little easier to run; I like being able pit stop at the water fountain next to the track.  I suppose the disadvantage of running on a track would be that it is flat and not comparable to an actual race.  That being said though, I hate sucking in cold air that causes my nose and chest to feel pretty darn uncomfortable. 

To be honest, I can't really decide if I like running.  I appreciate that fact that I can fun a shorter distance and exert more energy than when I ride my bike.  The fact is that with a school schedule, it can be difficult to work in a bike ride that will help me train.  So, it is nice to fit a short run into my schedule and know that I have exerciesed.  Sometimes I feel like running takes away from time on my bike, but I respond to this feeling with two thoughts: 1) I don't always have time to ride my bike (like I previously mentioned), and 2) I try to ride my bike to campus to save time, get a little more exercise, and just enjoy being on my bike.  And I should mention that I also do it to cut down on my carbon footprint.  After all, I am an environmentalist as much as I am a cyclist or "runner."  (I hesitate to call myself a runner, because I can't decide if I really like it and if it is something I want to keep up.)