Under normal circumstances, Tuesday should have been a rest day for me. I’ve had a fairly steady amount of riding in the last three days, averaging close to 25 miles per ride. It’s been enough to build some needed stamina, but also put my legs into a situation where recovery is the best option for progress.
I sure do display a lot of Specialized logos, both on the bike and the various articles of clothing on my body
But – weather like that seen Tuesday afternoon is a rare occurrence and should not be left unto itself. A perfect evening for cycling with absolutely zero wind, high 60s temperatures, and fading blues skies while the sun set. Every lake that I passed was as smooth as glass and provided picture-perfect views.
I decided to head farther south than my normal routes through Medina and eventually hit Lake Minnetonka, while hugging the northern shoreline. The route offered a nice mix of hills and flat sections, as it leveled out significantly around Wayzata. This was a nice contrast to the typical rolling hills in Medina, where I am never able to reach a steady pace for too long before the gradient changes. It also meant that I could keep a steady gear and focus on even pedal strokes (pedaling in circles – of course). It was a nice change from the normal undulation.
The ride stats were good at 18.8 mph average and a distance just over 25 miles. That gives me a four day total of 99 miles and marks the longest stretch of riding I’ve done since last summer. Here are the details loaded into the Garmin site.
After this recent block of riding, my body is definitely ready for a break and I will be taking Wednesday off – regardless of the weather. Plans are still in-place to participate in the Minnesota Ironman ride this coming weekend (the 65 mile version), so I need to ensure I am recovered to enjoy the ride.
My body is also reacting to the steady string of rides over the past few weeks and I am noticing my “winter weight” being slowly shed. I had (not by choice) added about ten extra pounds over the winter and was not happy with my overall shape. But, it’s working its way off and I should soon be at my idea weight of around 155 lbs.
As I’ve ramped up the exercise, I’ve also noticed a change in my appetite. Instead of getting larger (due to the greater caloric needs), it’s actually gone down and I find that I really need to limit the amount of food I take-in for a single setting. Smaller meals at a more frequent occurance feel a whole lot better in my stomach.
My Garmin cyclometer also contains a derived calculation for calories burned based on some input I provided (age, weight, height, bike weight, etc). Each of the rides have been averaging around 1500 calories – which is a lot more than I would have expected. I can say that it FEELS like I am burning that many calories, but to see them add up is a little surprising. Given that a normal daily intake is around 2000-2500 calories, I can understand how I am dropping a few unwanted pounds.
