Winding Up, Winding Down

Morning weigh-in: 180.5#, 12.5% BF
Blood pressure: 133/75, 57 BPM

I notice that when my pulse is low, the systolic pressure is higher -- as if my heart is just squirting all the blood around in one big push...

Uh-oh: Looks like Floyd's in a bit of trouble, one of his preliminary doping tests came back positive. It was from Stage 17 too, the amazing "comeback stage." I'm hoping it was a false positive -- I hear he's allowed to be on cortisone for his hip, and he tested positive for steroids -- but if he's busted, oh well.

My ride last night wasn't nearly as dramatic (or drug-enhanced), but I did cut six minutes off my previous benchmark time. I did my "northern benchmark, short version" ride: up 611, over on Mud Run, back along Rt 191 & Bushkill Drive. Time was 1:30, and I was kind of holding back a little... Hills didn't feel so bad, either. I spent most of my time (after the warmup) in HR zones 3 & 4, with the bulk of the remainder in zone 2. My HR maxxed out at 173 BPM, and my average was 150; total calories burned was about 1600.

Dinner was broccoli-and-cheese couscous, plus black beans & garlic. Another excellent post-ride meal (totally nailed the glycogen window too), even though it was driven mainly by my recurring failure to go food shopping.

Tonight is the gym, followed by, um, food shopping.