Just Spinning

The rain brought some enlightenment this week to my ride preparation. Christine had mentioned to me about this spinning class at the health club. I told her no thanks. I'll just spin on the road or on one of these exercise bikes after I swim. My parade got rained upon on Wednesday. I usually get some time on the bike on Wednesday. Since it was raining, I decided to go to the spinning class. We got there earlier than the class so I could spin and loosen the legs up a bit. The class was difficult but worth it. It pushed me to work a bit harder than I had done on my own interval training on the bike. Plus, it was fun. The music is loud and the room almost dark with some twenty other people suffering in the same way. Thursday, both Christine and I took a rest day. Friday I went back to the club, swam for 20 minutes, and then hit the spinning class. It was a different instructor and she pushed harder than the one on Wednesday. After I got done, I am asking myself, "How am I going to ride tomorrow?" Well, I did. I put 50 miles on the bike yesterday. I rode out to Camarillo and back. Some hills early but not a lot late. The ride was real beautiful from Camarillo back to Simi. Green hills, groves of trees, homes on the hill, and horse properties. It was all very soothing. In all, just a little bit over three hours of riding. The legs felt good and strong. There were moments before I got loose that I felt I should just turn and go home. I didn't. The interesting thing was I felt I got stronger as I rode on, punctuating the day climbing the hill up First Street in the biggest gear to date. The spinning class' tendency to stand while riding helped get up a lot of the hills and helped pull through the day.

On a note to Christine's idea to join the class, in this month's Bicycling magazine, it mentions how several riders took spinning interval training a saw some good improvements in strength and explosiveness. Well, here I go. I will continue to swim and spin while tieing in the endurance rides to all of the cardio work. I should be ready to ride the century here in May and really start to put some miles on the bike in preparing for the STP in July. 204+ in one day is the goal and will help boost confidence to roll into August.

I am looking forward to going to Tacoma this week. I do not have a lot of time to visit family but at least I will get to see them for a little while.

About the picture, just a little inspiration. Look at his face, then look at the faces of his teammates and others. He is in control and in the zone. If you've never been there, you don't understand. That look on his face tells a huge story while offering inspiration. If he can suffer like that, I can too!