Cycling as Therapy

I drove over to Davenport on Tuesday to place my bike order. I already have my 6.9 Madone road bike, so I opted for a Speed Concept. I haven't had a TT rig for the past few years, but we seem to do more and more stage races each year and I hate giving up the time in the prologue. I also have a Zipp sub-9 disc coming. Now I just need some sweet fitness to go with this beautiful rig.

Teammate Chad Bishop and I stuck around for the trainer ride with Jeff Bradley at his store. There were 32 people in attendance! Since I am on a rest week, I sandbagged. With 32 people packed into a small room, you can get a pretty good sweat going even when you are sandbagging.

Although I took Monday and Wednesday completely off the bike, I was busy getting things done. I also took my dog for 2-hour walks both days, so it's not like I was lying around on the couch. But, it's crazy to me, how stiff and sore I feel when I'm not riding. My knees get really stiff and my back even starts hurting. When I stand up from a seated position, it takes a few seconds to stand completely upright. Rest weeks are the only time I don't feel 29.

I take being fit for granted. If I were to stop cycling, I think I would deteriorate quickly. When you feel bad, you don't want to work out. But when you feel great all the time, it just makes me motivated to keep feeling better. I have heard people say, they're waiting to loose 15 pounds before they join the gym. Of course, they never do.

If you're going to be an athlete, you can't just train when you feel good. In fact, some of my best workouts have been when I had to drag myself to the gym, or to get on the trainer. I never have "not" wanted to ride outside though. That's probably a good indicator of if you're doing the right thing. If riding your bike outside ever feels like work, it's time to find a new sport.

The forecast is for 42 and sunny today. I already have my gear laid out. A couple hour easy gravel spin is on my afternoon plate.

Looks like this old guy has found a way to stay motivated to exercise. Now that banana hammock is hanging mighty low. And judging by the lack of tan lines, this is not his first stroll on the beach.