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2014-10-14 11:30 AM

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Champion
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Carlsbad, California
Subject: Enjoyable Workouts

I believe that we did not adopt the endurance sport avocation to sit in our basements suffering on the trainer or the treadmill to pop out of our burrows like Punxutawney Phil at the first light of spring to take the racing season by storm.

I personally adopted this sport because I loved the idea of running on the beach, swimming in the ocean and biking up and down the coast and in the local mountains. I made the mistake early on in believing I needed to suffer through the training so I could do well at my races. NOW I demand much more and will happily sacrifice some of my goals to make my training as enjoyable as possible. (I never actually had to give up anything except my old bike trainer)

"I Challenge Everyone to find at least one workout a week through the winter where they are able to get outside for a workout and enjoy whatever the day as to offer"

A favorite workout or route surely provides some great motivation. This challenge is not about how tough someone is; rather it is about completing a workout and relishing every moment of it. I don't believe we should ever find ourselves dreading what we do to prepare to tackle our awesome goals.

This is an open challenge. It is NOT a competition, and the only winner here is you at the end of your workout when your mojo decides it wants more of what you just did. No need to respond to the challenge unless you want to share a particularly good workout with the group or maybe post a photo or two of your rave run, epic ride or awesome swim.

Here is the beach where I do a lot of my training just to get things started

Moonlight Beach



Edited by WaterDog66 2014-10-14 11:31 AM


2014-10-14 12:14 PM
in reply to: WaterDog66

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Pro
6520
50001000500
Bellingham, WA
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts

Great idea.

This is the perfect time of year to break out of the routine and use fitness gained to try new adventures.  This Fall I decided to buy a cyclocross bike and do some gravel grinding.  There are some gorgeous rails-to-trails routes in our area that go for miles.  It has been so much fun to add another dimension to the road and more importantly the trainer.  Here is a sample.





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2014-10-14 8:36 PM
in reply to: popsracer

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Extreme Veteran
1222
1000100100
Tallahassee, Florida
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
This is the best challenge idea that I have seen!!!!! I'm in. I may not post pic (don't run with camera or phone) but I'm all for looking for a "happy" since that is what I'm trying to do with my life - and training.

Last Saturday, I was about 6 miles into my long run and saw a huge group in front of me. It was the Pink Run. I ran with them for a while, branched off for my regular route, and then decided to join the group and explore an area I hadn't covered before. Met back up with the race, talked with some wonderful people (the 64+ y.o. man who lost 67 pounds. Wow!), encouraged some youngsters that were about to throw in the towel, and bypassed the finish line and cheered on some more people. Explored a couple of neighborhoods I haven't seen, checked on my witch's coven, explored the neighborhood that was previously under construction, foraged for water, met some more people coming in from the race, and then come home a different way. Pace wasn't killer but I sure did enjoy it.
2014-10-14 8:51 PM
in reply to: WaterDog66

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1159
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Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
great challenge - now that IM training is over (at least for the next few months) - i'm looking forward to going rock climbing (indoor) and then trying some insane stuff like trapeze and aerial silks - not really outside, but something i've been wanting to do
2014-10-14 9:08 PM
in reply to: 0

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Veteran
495
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Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I like this idea. I'm looking forward to cross country ski season. The mountains west of Calgary are great any time of year, but I like them best when they're covered in snow. Here's one photo from a bike ride this summer and one skiing last winter.
Don

Edited by donw 2014-10-14 9:17 PM




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2014-10-20 7:34 AM
in reply to: WaterDog66

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Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I am insanely jealous of people living in/near such beautiful places to train. All I can say is that my surroundings here most of the time are extremely uninspiring. Open water is too contaminated for swimming (closest almost safe beach is 5 hours drive and I have no time), roads are insane (though I can occasionally get out of town with my MTB, but often too busy with online coursework) and running consists of loops of dull residential neighborhoods and for some reason they have cut off the tops of most of the trees. So I survive by doing bike tours on breaks, streaming videos of alpine rides while I sit on the trainer (maybe I could put in the link instead of the photo) and imagining I'm somewhere else. I have a good imaganation, kind of like a mental Go-Pro, so this works better than one would expect. That being said, here's the scenery at the start of Sunday's ride, if I can get it to attach. (Nong Khiaw in northern Laos, I spent the night in the bungalow at the right.)




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2014-10-20 9:08 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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107
100
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Being in the Front Range of Colorado(Boulder) makes outdoors amazing... The abundance of trails, the variety of terrain, access to mountains, etc. I don't think I could train nearly as much as I do if I were forced to be stuck indoors all winter. I'll be sure to throw some pics up as I take them.
2014-10-25 1:49 AM
in reply to: 0

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Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Okay, this is an unconventional way to enjoy one's workout, but here are the links to my two favorite virtual "rides" in the Swiss Alps. As I said, I have a good imagination--I can stare at my computer screen, blast the AC and my music, mess around with the gears, and (almost) make myself believe I'm actually riding on those roads at breakneck speed, not making a pool of sweat while I grind away at the trainer in my study/workout room!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-48PjYVaw8&list=TLYtGp27mBfTPIKcgdN...
(Klausen and Pragel Pass Ride)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNWHuUADUG8&index=4&list=TLYtGp27mBf...
(Andermatt to Interlaken ride)

Then there's the industrial park. I calibrate my mental GoPro and imagine I'm actually cycling on my favorite rail trail in Oregon--attempting to insert image. It's 20 km end to end (where we park) and I can visualize what the scenery is pretty much every mile.

I've been avoiding the industrial park lately. Doing a run focus and have been doing all of what biking I am doing (about 3 hours a week) either on the trainer or stationary, on bike tours, or the occasional MTB ride. Just feel like if I have to face that park every weekend, I'm truly going to hate cycling. Plus crazy winds (it's on a tidal peninsula) make it really hard to get in a structured workout or even ride at a steady pace.










Edited by Hot Runner 2014-10-25 1:53 AM




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2014-10-25 6:46 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Extreme Veteran
1222
1000100100
Tallahassee, Florida
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I love this thread and thought of it today. Ran the Boston mini (HM in Boston GA). It's on the roads I traveled at 70mph as a stupid teenager. Don't think the roads have been paved since then and as one runner put it, although it's a road race, soon they will have to declare it as cross country because of all of the cracks and holes in the road. On the out portion, the sun was rising over the trees and the sun made the cracked road looked like glittering cobblestones. I so wish I had a camera.
2014-10-26 4:45 AM
in reply to: 0

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Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
On the subject of all time favorite runs, my hands-down favorite. I had the good fortune to do my grad work at UH Manoa and this was my go-to Sunday long run. I manage to get back there about once every five years and always manage to work it in. A few years ago I'd been injured, hadn't run over an hour for months, and it took me almost three hours to do the loop (maybe 16 miles round trip from UH) as I had to inch backwards down the steepest part of the descent---still did it, still worth it! This is "what I think about when I think about running", where I go in my head when things get hard or boring. If I knew it was my last day on earth, I would go run this loop. Tantalus in Honolulu, Hawaii.....



Edited by Hot Runner 2014-10-26 4:50 AM




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2014-10-26 5:59 PM
in reply to: 0

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Today was special! I don't think that I have ever mountain biked and cross country skied on the same day before. We don't have any snow on the ground, but the Canmore Nordic Centre (the cross country ski venue for 1988 Winter Olympics and a major training facility for the national team) saved snow from last winter and used it to create a 2 km ski trail. I don't really know the details but it's quite impressive. At the same time, they still have most of their trails open for mountain biking. Here are some pictures...

Edited by donw 2014-10-26 6:21 PM




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2014-10-26 6:19 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Hot Runner Thanks for the video links - I might watch those on the trainer. And that run in Hawaii does sound pretty sweet.
Don
2014-11-02 12:04 AM
in reply to: 0

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Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I managed to forget camera and phone on this morning's MTB ride, but shamelessly stealing a few shots from similar rides posted by others. Trying to showcase our infamous "rice paddy singletrack" (there's also fish pond singletrack, but often that's paved, albeit poorly), and the little wooden bridges that always give a bit of an adrenaline rush. Today's ride was the "bridge extravaganza" so there were a lot.


Edited by Hot Runner 2014-11-02 12:08 AM




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2014-11-11 9:17 PM
in reply to: 0

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
One of the things that I am enjoying when I train these days is running with my dog Sophie - here are some pictures. She weighs less than 20 pounds but she's built for running - very long legs for her size. She turned two in October and I think that the longest run that we've done together is 12 km. 6 months ago I was careful not to go too far so that I wouldn't tire her out, but I don't worry about that any more.

These pictures are taken in Calgary's Nose Hill Park - this is where I do most of my running. It's only two km from my house. This park is a large hill that is completely within Calgary city limits but you would never know that once you get up there. Much of it is open grassland but there are lots of little forested valleys. On a morning run deer sightings are just about guaranteed and the chances of seeing a coyote are also pretty good.

These photos were taken November 1. Calgary looks very different now - the temperature has plunged and we've got a nice blanket of snow. (Perfect conditions for the Crappy Winter Weather Challenges.)

Don


Edited by donw 2014-11-11 9:25 PM




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2014-12-29 9:09 PM
in reply to: donw

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Veteran
495
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Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I managed to get out of town on Boxing Day to enjoy some cross country skiing in the mountains...
Don



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2015-01-03 10:11 AM
in reply to: donw

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409
100100100100
Durham, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I'm envious of the cross country skiing pictures! I live in Miami so definitely none of that here, but luckily this is a fantastic time of the year for me to go riding outside.

I'm going to try to attach a pic lets see how this goes.



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2015-01-03 5:38 PM
in reply to: 0

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Originally posted by Lupy

I'm envious of the cross country skiing pictures! I live in Miami so definitely none of that here, but luckily this is a fantastic time of the year for me to go riding outside.

I'm going to try to attach a pic lets see how this goes.

Hi Lupy
Nice photos - I feel fortunate to have access to such beautiful trails but I think I would feel the same way if I had ocean beaches to run and ride beside. I can't resist adding one more photo.
Don

Edited by donw 2015-01-03 5:40 PM




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2015-01-11 1:51 AM
in reply to: 0

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Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Tropical paradise and snow wonderlands seem to be the main themes here. Wanted to post these earlier but had Internet issues on the trip and at home so had to wait until I could get back to work. Two of my best shots from riding in Sri Lanka over Christmas/New Years. (Will spare you the photos of the first none days of riding through floods and landslides in heavy rain. These are from a single 138 km ride from Ella to Tissa, on December 31. The second photo--supposed to be first but I mixed them up-- is of me celebrating reaching my training goal of 200 hours for 2014, a minute or so after I got there. (We then kept riding for another five hours.) The first is of an unexpected visitor in the road later that day. (We were told that he is old, habituated to people, and comes there every day for handouts, and it was safe to pose. A bit disconcerting, but we did pose and then rode on past with no incident.)







Edited by Hot Runner 2015-01-11 1:54 AM




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2015-06-21 9:25 PM
in reply to: WaterDog66

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
I can't believe that I'm posting about swimming in a thread about enjoyable workouts, but I had a minor breakthrough in open water swimming.

My wife and I combined a sprint triathlon with a camping trip in the rocky mountains. My swim went pretty well during the race. My time wasn't great but I felt quite comfortable in the water. Then after the race our campsite was on the edge of a small lake and I managed to get out for a few OWS sessions. The setting was beautiful and the water was calm and clear. I could see rainbow trout beneath me as I swam. (The lake was stocked.) There was also a natural hot spring just down the road to help stay warm - the weather in the mountains can be cool this time of year.

For the first time since I started training for triathlon, I feel enthusiastic about open water swimming.

Here's a couple of photos.
1. me swimming
2. a panoramic view from the location where my wife took some pictures of me swimming.

Don



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2015-06-21 9:34 PM
in reply to: donw

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New user
1351
10001001001002525
Austin, Texas
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts

Wow! Epic place for a swim! It's cool to see all the different beautiful environments that the different BT kids train in.

2015-09-28 9:08 PM
in reply to: trijamie

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Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Calgary
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts
Resurrecting an old thread. I went on a 100 km bike ride from Banff to Lake Louise with some buddies yesterday. It's hard to imagine a better place to ride.
Don



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2015-09-28 10:34 PM
in reply to: donw

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New user
1351
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Austin, Texas
Subject: RE: Enjoyable Workouts

I'm jealous again. Beautiful pictures, Don.

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