starting something new this week. i took off a day after the english mountain ride. yesterday the ride was short and intense. i had read about interval training but never could comprehend it here in the constant up and down of the local terrain. so i chose areas of slight incline to do 3 min intervals. i don't have HR monitor or anything, i just blast as hard as possible for the time keeping my cadence above 80. i am going to do a 3 min. day, a 15 min day(interval duration), and a long ride on the weekend (or a long climb) that is for miles not intensity. any other day will be bonus because of my schedule. oh, i do two intervals on an hour ride.
i have a goal: to complete three prominent mountains here in one day, English Mountain, Bluff Mountain, and the road up the Smoky Mountains to Newfound Gap and Clingman's Dome. Along with my son, we tried to do all three in one day a year ago but abandoned after the second (Bluff). We went too fast at the start and he (thankfully! cuz I was dying) said, "I don't think I am going to make it", while climbing Bluff. I am unsure of the total miles, but it's a goal for this year.