Walked to Winco

My legs held out better than usual going and coming to Winco this morning, but since then (it’s now 3:30) I’ve been eager to sit down at every opportunity. Are my legs ever going to develop any stamina for standing around?


Today I spent 15 minutes with them elevated vertically against the wall – and about 10 minutes, total, stretching. Also iced my knee for 15 minutes. It’s been complaining more than I expected it to, recently. Not so bad up and down stairs, as just ambling around. (It’s the main reason I plan to increase my stretching routine.)

Tomorrow I plan to ride about 20 miles, and may not have much time for stretching when I get back before Travis is here to help with the computer, TV, etc.

7pm – I got another 10-15 minutes of stretching in.

3.4 mi. to library

Just enough to limber up my knees. Which seemed to need it!

I’m beginning to think I need to stretch more.

Lazy!

I spent an hour this morning watching a light show on the wall made by the early morning sun as it shone through the oak leaves waving in the breeze and making dancing shadows … very relaxing.

So is this why I’m so lazy, today? Or was it the 69.6 miles I rode in the last 7 days – definitely the high mark for this year so far. Both, I think -- and I’m content with it..

And my knees feel so great, today. I’ve been conscious of it every time I went up and down a stair.

Still, in the shower, tonight, I almost lost my balance, when I was rinsing the soap out of my hair. Suddenly I realized I was falling, and just got my hand on the ledge in time to steady myself. No warning! Not good! And I don’t know how much that’s going to improve as my legs get stronger… It may not be a question of muscle tone.

As for energy, today, it was never high, but on the other hand I was never sleepy … until now, and it’s bedtime.

22.7 miles

Great weather. Started at 7:45, ended at 11:45. Slowed by several construction sites and one accident. But mostly I was just going slow. I also spent an hour or so shopping in Wal-mart – where, by the way, my legs in no way cramped my style. They are definitely getting stronger.

So here’s another successful ride that follows only two “rest” days, both of which were fairly active.

Tonight we went to the movies – almost 3 hours of sitting – and at the end when I first stood up I was incredibly unsteady. After a minute or two I was “okay”, although anybody watching me would have seen a doddering old man, I’m sure.

Bottom line: my legs are tired, but I feel like it’s healthy fatigue, on the way to greater strength and reslience.

Household chores

No hike, no bike, but mowed the lawn, brought the big stepladder downstairs and used it in the garage to get down some of Anne’s paintings. I can remember when this would have felt like a major workout, but today I took it in stride – and got in a great couple of hours on the violin in the afternoon.

To Winco and back

We made a brisk walk of it, because I had to get back and go to the dentist. We sat down for two brief breaks on the way back, but I’ve felt much worse in recent weeks…

…and the rest of the day was uneventful, except for a sense of well-being springing from my lack of lethargy. Legs felt tired and stiff, but strong.

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.