Sunday, 9/20 rides

[OakLeaf]

I did a recovery ride - first one I've done in oh, probably, ever. Not quite 15 miles, just about as slow as I could possibly go.

Years ago when I was training hard, our little club really didn't know about recovery efforts, and we trained hard every day.

Lately, on the bike I just ride, not train, so doing an effort I need to actually recover from is pretty rare. I almost considered doing a recovery run instead, since I'm not going to be running very hard or long this week either, but what I read about recovery seems to say it needs to be the hair o' the dog, not a different sport done easy.

Now, I'll ride slow now and then if I show up for a Tuesday ride and no one else is there but the old dudes (they get their miles in, don't get me wrong - two of them just got back from the Continental Divide - but they just don't ride very fast). But actually going out, by myself, intending to ride short and slow, well, that was pretty much a new one for me.

And it was important, too - not sure one way or the other whether it gained me anything physically, although I'm not sore today, which is a great thing - but mentally, just proving to myself I could get back on the bike after KCBC and not hurt at all, showed me that even if I have to cruise the whole way home this Sunday, I'll be able to do it. Those two extra teeth in back help, too, for sure. Saturday I didn't go out really hard, but I didn't really try to relax, either. Yesterday it turned out that with the new gearing, I can relax on up to a 10% grade, if I need to.

(The other thing that's helping is Traumeel on my @ss bones. I will be tough enough for the new saddle by the weekend. )