dreadedmonkeygod . net

Another week of training in the books, which brings me to the end of the first month of this training cycle.

First Things First: Progress

I'm losing weight (the scale seems to be consistently hovering under 187, down from 189 a couple weeks ago), but my measurements didn't change at all. Not sure what to make of that.

I'm stronger in the gym, and bike training is going well. No problems completing any of the training rides.

What's Working

Weight training and heart rate training seem to be coexisting nicely. I alternate days, and the two don't seem to interfere with each other. By keeping my pedaling cadence high, I make sure that my training rides focus on my metabolic systems, rather than my tired muscles. And even if I'm tired from a ride, I can always summon 20 minutes of solid barbell work.

Farmer walks in particular have been a revelation. More than any exercise I've ever done, they make my body feel like one thing.

I have yet to objectively measure the effect all this is having on my cycling performance, but I feel far stronger, especially when standing on the pedals. I pull on the bars and turn the cranks, and the bike jumps forward.

What's Not Working

Over the last couple weeks, I've been totally ignoring my chest. No push-ups, no bench press, no dumbell press, no nothing. Shameful. I added push-ups to my routine. Ditto for stretching.