Pedaling the Prairie

Yesterday I pedaled 41 miles in the prairies of Houston. The first ten miles were pretty miserable - numb toes, cold face, my sweat wipe became my snot wipe. Gloves are definitely going in the wash this week. I also felt like I should be going faster than what my bike was outputting. So I stopped at the first stop, raised my seat about 3-5cm, ate some Fig Newtons, and got back in the saddle. Wow I probably upped my speed by 1 mph just by changing the seat height. The change in my performance was so noticeable. The physics of riding is so cool.

The whole ride took me 3.5 hrs. That averages out to 11.7 mph. There was less wind this time, so that's where the .7 came from. But seriously? just 11mph? I feel so slow. Maybe I should put the bike computer back on and really keep track of that...NO. The reason I stopped using it is because I don't believe in constantly using numbers to gauge my strength. You should ride however fast you feel comfortable for as long as you feel comfortable. Just listen to your body and you can tell how far you can push or not. That's how I work out. That's how I ride.

Now I just have to develop the mental strength to push myself harder and harder. Not sore today, so I'll prob go for a run. My knee doesn't seem to be hurting me, so that's a good sign. Maybe all I needed was to give it a good low-impact workout.

BTW can I just say how HAPPY I was that this ride had Fig Newtons? I hadn't seen these delicious babies for years. It's the little pleasures in life that keep you going. =D