Life is not a Practice

Sunday afternoon tour with Jon.
Almost all in training zone 1 but still a 24.7 km/h average.



43km with only 380 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jolvkuqvvopumpvz

Afterwards a drink at the ice cafe where Max met us after a mountain bike trip and Alison and Gertrud after walking round the Grüntensee.

Fantastic video of the tour by Jon at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_tEkM74_Zc&feature=youtu.be

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5993643586090804945

Lunchtime with the race bike.

22km with 266 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lcdtjwmxvpvrhtyc

It snowed on Sunday and yesterday but the roads were clear today so I went for a bike ride. It was about 5°C in the shade so I was well wrapped up but still cool going down hill.

I went via Enthalb der Ach and the Römerbrücke which seemed to add about 70 meters of climbing to the "normal" route.

24km and 320 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xcyealhfmxxoiwmt

North America has the Great Lakes and we have the eight lakes.
Today I opened the mountain bike season with a tour past eight local lakes with Max.



Schönenwalder Weiher, Grundweiher, Trollweiher, Luimooser Weiher, Schwaltenweiher, Neuweiher, Attlesee and Kögelweiher.


The picture taken by Max while I was photographing him.

23km with 350 meters of climbing.
The track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tpdsbwhlfkowwdtw

Max's blog is at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/03/saturday-seven-lakes.html and his pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/102257273463070793435/albums/5988092975507307873/5993728140579974546?pid=5993728140579974546&oid=102257273463070793435

It is still March and at lunchtime I was out in my short trousers and tricot. I am really enjoying this early summer.

Another lunch time of hill climbing. This time straight up to Ellegg in the hope of getting a good section in zone 3 - didn't work too well.

Got nearly to the Metzeler Alp and then turned back as the road still had snow on it.

22.6km and 530 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=azmcfbbblkvhdqmt

Another lunch time cycle ride. From Wertach up the Ellegg and then back down with a little extra at the end to fill the time.

I can remember when cycling up the Ellegg seemed impossible and now I do it lunchtimes on my race bike.

16.5km and 336 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ijpfpmewacepflbm

Another day of "mountaineering" on my race bike. This time with a 50km wind from the south west to help get my pulse nice and high.

Had a puncture near Vorderburg but luckily I had the necessary bits and pieces with me - lucky because I had forgotten my mobile phone.

39km and 770(!) meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xiqduiocqtxxyjqx

The two little peaks towards the end was me riding up and down the same hill twice to finish my training time for this week.

Another lunch time race bike ride round the lake. My pulse meter said that I was top fit (despite step aerobic last night) and "suggested" that my pulse should be really high. You can see the result in the track - 580 meters of climbing in 34 kilometers.

Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=woeqxggbdqxeqxqb

Big choice - eat lunch or go out on my race bike. I postponed lunch.

Once round the Grüntensee to warm up and then up the hill to Vorderreute and back down.

26 kms and 400 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jjabktmuojfyzoko

How our family tried to fit a life in to the weekend.



Test driving a smart. Skiing on an empty sun soaked Austrian mountain with carving skis. Nordic walking with a cappuccino to follow at the ice cream parlour. 2 race bike trips, one round the lake and one in to Austria and back. Ski teaching two days running with end of season drinks to follow in a mountain hut. 1 mountain bike trip to the frozen lake to grill at the water rescue hut. Two hours of spinning on Saturday evening followed by sparkling wine and milk shakes. One football game and one football training with friends. Photographing helicopters and planes at the local airfield.

All the pictures at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5988844292628011761?authkey=CKi16pbl6dGX-AE

After the amazing skiing this morning we all decided to continue to make use of the weather. Alison went nordic walking, Max went mountain biking and grilling at the lake and Jon and I cycled the 50 km in to Austria and back.



We stopped off for a coffee and parked our bikes on the "ski rack". Others were turning up on their Langlauf skis.



We cycled past the foot of the mountain we were skiing on this morning. It really is a great life.

50km and 530 meters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=swjxyofiksykxsxa

A mornings skiing like in a picture book. Alison, Max and I were skiing in Tannheimertal. Perfect snow, stunning weather and empty slopes. The first runs were down completely empty pistes and we could use our carving skis to their extremes.



Amazing!



max also wrote about the weekend at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/03/weekend-83-and-93.html

Off spinning this evening so didn't want to do anything too strenuous but the sun is shining and it is 13°C in the shade so I had to go for a bike ride.

Rode round the Grüntensee but anticlockwise for a change. Also tried to avoid hills. The result was 21km with only 230 meters of climbing.

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dmqkhocuygfgwmrd

An hours swimming at the Alpspitz-Bade-center with max.
I managed a kilometer in the time he took for 1.6. I think I need a few years training to be as fast as him.

Saturday morning ski tour. Had to fill up the hours and KCal burnt for my training program and there are worse ways to do it than walking up a mountain, drinking a beer at the top and then skiing down.



Saw Daniel at the top busy teaching kids to ski.

Route is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=twrnqhkbmzvqqitv

In the afternoon I and Max went to the Trendsport center to try some shooting.



I look more like I am training to be a terrorist.