3 glorious days

[suzbyrd]

The weather here in NE Tennessee has been fantastic. The holiday weekend allowed me to ride in 65 degree weather. I rode a hard 20 on Friday with DH. Then 19 more on Saturday all by myself. Then yesterday we were able to pound out 33 more. Needless to say, my legs are like lead weight now. I have been riding the trainer 3-4 days per week and I must say that the steady pace made me much stronger than I expected for this time of year. Our pace was much higher than when we were riding regularly this summer. Maybe it was because of not having so much training where we abused our legs in the pursuit of miles.
My part-time job is officiating basketball 3-4 times per week. I have found that loosening the legs in the morning makes me much more strong on the court at night. Since bb is a start-stop type of activity, the aerobic training helps me to recover and keep my system on full go.
I'm looking forward to riding more in the spring. Riding regularly on the trainer, I hope to lose 10 lbs by the spring in the hopes that I can keep up with DH and not slow him down so much.

[bacarver]

The weather here in Southern Indiana has been great the past few days. I was able to go out for a 27 miler yesterday. I work nights and my riding opportunities are limited. But! Yesterday was my day off and I was able to ride my Trek 1500 for a glorious 1 hour and 40 minutes. I haven't ridden much lately due to all the rain and cooler temps. Yesterday was a reminder of the sweet road time I've enjoyed all summer. Nearly 1300 miles worth of mastering hills, faster average speeds, feeling stronger, and enjoying the incredible freedom of cycling. I got my "fix" and it felt awesome even though I was wasted in the evening. I'm 46 but I intend to ride for years to come. I ride alone. I have no partners. I am my own company on the bike. I experience my victories with only the wind and nature around me. Who knows what people think when the see me? Most have no idea as to what my bike means to me and what it does for me. Few could keep up with me. I will ride my trainer till spring arrives, and then I will re-visit my routes. I will write in my journal and I will always anticipate the next ride. I am thankful for every day I am injury-free.
Barb