Lacking Kick.
Last night I planned on getting on the bike.
I didn't.
Instead, I kitted up early this morning and shuffled down to the garage. I haven't done more than a handful of pre-dawn workouts this year, so my movements while I was still waking up weren't as automatic as they have been in the past. Still, I started cranking away and little by little my mind caught up with my body. Looking at the numbers, it wasn't a bad workout. My peak power wasn't as high as it has been, but sustained sprinting power was in the ballpark. Between eye-bleeding efforts, my average power wasn't too bad either. Like I said, the numbers said it was a pretty good workout.
Numbers don't tell the whole story.
After a winter of repeated-yet-futile efforts to lose weight, I've added a couple of pounds. A near-weekly routine of sharing illnesses with my toddler has beat me down. Stresses at work have me crawling between the sheets in the afternoon for a nap instead of immediately jumping on the trainer to burn off my frustrations. At least once every couple of weeks I delay or skip a workout when life or a general lack of interest interferes.
I need a reboot.
It's like that one bluebird day on the slopes where the snow is just perfect. It reminds you why you love the sport and completely erases the mental scars from too many days skiing in the rain, bitter cold, or flat light.
I'm hoping I'll get a day or two like that next week in San Antonio. Nothing epic, because San Antonio isn't know for climbs that rival L'Alpe d'Huez. Rather, I'd like a few rides at a moderate pace in the sun, where snot rockets are the exception rather than the rule. A handful of rides where I don't have to worry if I have sufficient layers to deal with the ambient temperatures. A chance to stretch my muscles out and experience a dynamic cycling environment.
A reboot.
This morning was good enough as trainer sessions go. I had a couple good sprint efforts, and afterwards I did the first third of the new Zwift mountain loop before I had to get ready for work. A new twist is always welcome in the often stale world of pedaling and going nowhere. Still, the body and mind have been craving the clean arcs of skinny tires on dry pavement. Not the laps of the Dome, but an ever-changing world in front of my wheels. Indoor training has made great strides for me this year, but it can never match actual pavement.
Sooner or later I'll probably cave and get a fat bike. If my past experiences with bikes accepting tires wider than 700x28c are any guide, it will be sold after a season or two. This is a large reason why I haven't bought one yet. At the end of the day, I'm a roadie, and that's the only discipline that's had any real hold on me. Maybe one day that will change, but for now I prefer the pavement.
Hopefully I'll find some in San Antonio.
I didn't.
Instead, I kitted up early this morning and shuffled down to the garage. I haven't done more than a handful of pre-dawn workouts this year, so my movements while I was still waking up weren't as automatic as they have been in the past. Still, I started cranking away and little by little my mind caught up with my body. Looking at the numbers, it wasn't a bad workout. My peak power wasn't as high as it has been, but sustained sprinting power was in the ballpark. Between eye-bleeding efforts, my average power wasn't too bad either. Like I said, the numbers said it was a pretty good workout.
Numbers don't tell the whole story.
After a winter of repeated-yet-futile efforts to lose weight, I've added a couple of pounds. A near-weekly routine of sharing illnesses with my toddler has beat me down. Stresses at work have me crawling between the sheets in the afternoon for a nap instead of immediately jumping on the trainer to burn off my frustrations. At least once every couple of weeks I delay or skip a workout when life or a general lack of interest interferes.
I need a reboot.
It's like that one bluebird day on the slopes where the snow is just perfect. It reminds you why you love the sport and completely erases the mental scars from too many days skiing in the rain, bitter cold, or flat light.
I'm hoping I'll get a day or two like that next week in San Antonio. Nothing epic, because San Antonio isn't know for climbs that rival L'Alpe d'Huez. Rather, I'd like a few rides at a moderate pace in the sun, where snot rockets are the exception rather than the rule. A handful of rides where I don't have to worry if I have sufficient layers to deal with the ambient temperatures. A chance to stretch my muscles out and experience a dynamic cycling environment.
A reboot.
This morning was good enough as trainer sessions go. I had a couple good sprint efforts, and afterwards I did the first third of the new Zwift mountain loop before I had to get ready for work. A new twist is always welcome in the often stale world of pedaling and going nowhere. Still, the body and mind have been craving the clean arcs of skinny tires on dry pavement. Not the laps of the Dome, but an ever-changing world in front of my wheels. Indoor training has made great strides for me this year, but it can never match actual pavement.
Sooner or later I'll probably cave and get a fat bike. If my past experiences with bikes accepting tires wider than 700x28c are any guide, it will be sold after a season or two. This is a large reason why I haven't bought one yet. At the end of the day, I'm a roadie, and that's the only discipline that's had any real hold on me. Maybe one day that will change, but for now I prefer the pavement.
Hopefully I'll find some in San Antonio.
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