Tuesday, August 7, 2012

22.2 mi in 3 hrs overall, 2:16 rolling

A delightful ride on many counts. The weather was fantastic: overcast, mid-sixties, really refreshing. But the best part was how I felt. Everything felt good – my leg muscles, my general vitality, and my clear-headedness. At last, the cobwebs began dissipating! And this in spite of having taken only one complete rest day in the past week.

True, my bad knee was protesting a bit, but that may have been because I was pumping extra hard on that leg. Anyway, it’s been worse than this several times in the past, and I think a bit of icing will probably put it to rights.

The sore spot in my bad knee aside, my knees felt extra good, today, right from the start of the ride. For that, I credit the short ride I took yesterday. I’m thinking a 20-minute low-stress ride every day would be ideal for my knees. And since I’m finally in good enough shape – or nearly so – to do that, I’m going to try to make it part of my routine.

In general, today, when getting on and off my bike, and moving around, I was conscious that I’ve gotten stronger. My muscles are more responsive, more reliable. This leaves me more confident, more optimistic.

I skipped the “recoverite” protein drink afterwards, because I still felt full from the breakfast sandwich I’d had an hour or so earlier. And I didn’t bother stretching much, either. It’s a calculated risk, but if I can do without it, I can save that much more time. I cooled down by straghtening out the garage for 15 minutes.

Now, mid-afternoon, my legs are a bit stiff and tired, but I’m far from crippled.

Bedtime: feeling quite good, hardly stiff.

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