Monday, August 20, 2001

Fitness Update

Yeah, I went riding this evening (the storms held off). Now the bad news, I didn't go as far as I planned (I wanted to repeat Saturday's 33 mile ride). But I did go as far as Glen Rock (27 mi in 117 min) which is my normal ride length. My left calf kept threatening to cramp up (probably a little dehydrated) so I had to make sure I concentrated on form so as not to aggravate it.

The first 20 minutes of that ride are always tough. All the contact points immediately start complaining and you begin to wonder if you're going to be able to find a comfortable position for the next 2 hrs (in fact, you begin to doubt the wisdom of riding at all). But after the first 15 or 20 minutes, the endorphins start kicking in and you forget about your contact points being sore and start concentrating on your breathing and your spinning rate. The next 40 minutes until turn around go at a pretty average clip, not fun but you're getting there and you know you can do it once you pass Hanover Jtc.

The last 40 minutes of the ride are the most fun. The adrenaline and endorphins are coursing through your system and I spent about 8 miles trying to keep up with somone who was just a little bit faster. The euphoria sets in and you feel like you could keep riding past the end-point of the ride. The 2 hour after-glow when you get back home is a nice effect too which tapers off nicely around bedtime.

posted by Wuphon's at 11:30 PM