Two Wheel Blogs

You might say I have a passion...and I am not talking about Valentines day here. I am not really talking about riding bikes either...I do have a passion for riding bikes (and my wife) but that is not the subject of this post.

I took off work a bit early to go home and ride the trainer. I will not bore you with the details of the session...suffice to say I rode a big gear at a big cadence and probably made some big watts. It was hard work, but the thrill was inspiring. The thrill? Yes the thrill of finding that my fitness and strength are still with me after all the non-training I have done.

I am learning that while I hate to get on the trainer and train, I hate putting on 53 layers of cloths then trying to ride around on mean streets or neglected trails even more. Not going to rag on the trails...they are in sad shape as a result of crazy weather and no one has gotten around to repairing them yet (it is hard to repair soupy mud, or ice-mud...which is what we have had lately). I am not going to rag on the streets either...the average driver has taxes and Christmas bills on their mind, and the salt and debris is expected this time of year.

So yes, I have a passion for trainer rides. The actual suffering on the trainer is not all that great. Actually finding time to get on it is certainly not fun. What I really love is the feeling I have the rest of the day after I ride and train hard.

That deep down tired that you know you have earned. That sense of accomplishment. That tingling in your face from the hard effort (people comment on how red I look after a trainer session). And if you are really lucky, that feeling of looking down at the gear you are pushing and knowing that you really have not lost much off your game. I know that when the weather turns, I will still be able to go out and ride with just about anyone around here and enjoy the ride. I might even be able to take a sprint or two...may be even enter a race....It is all ahead of me.

For those who actually want to know the details of my workout:
I tried a new twist on my workout last night too. The long hard efforts are great, but I added a little fun at the end...every song began with a standing grind in gear 2 clicks harder than the cruising gear (for about 30 seconds). Then the last 10 minutes of the workout were sprint intervals. Every 2 minutes, I would stand, ratchet up 2 gears, and throw down an explosive sprint (I think I cooked my tire pretty good).

Oh, and this photo? Some may recognize it. I took this photo exactly one year ago today. I need to get a new picture of the dungeon...My wife cleaned and straightened it up considerably for me...it actually looks nice in there now...