It is still too dark after work and probably wont be riding conditions until April.
I ride in the dark sometimes, but at night in the rain is dangerous around here. Even with flashing bike lights in rain with wipers going it is hard to see bikes through car windshields. I drive more than ride (about double) so I know this first hand, and I look out for cyclists when I drive. It is not fun to get hit by a one ton death machine.
So yet again more spinning on a dark and stormy night.
January is done. I am behind last year, but I am way ahead of the three previous years. It is weather dependent as spinning inside in the week does not come close to the distance of the real world.
So far my averages are good. 40% of the days of the week I am on the bike. I am at 2.92 hours per per week of hard work. (I will be over 8 hours in summer) My wrist demon is telling me my resting heart rate is dropping. I think it is a bit weird as I will look at the display saying RHR is 60 while my current HR is 58 sitting at work. My fitness numbers are good.
I avoid weighing myself very much. A workout that pushes your limits can cause temporary swelling and water retention. THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. It is your body cleaning up the muscles and stuff. That sweat party leaves a lot of trash on the dance floor and it must be flushed away. So maybe once a week when I feel “right”. I am just at 200 lbs right now. My usual summer weight is 190 ish. It would be nice to weigh less as hills would be easier, but there is that thing called chocolate. (and beer and wine and...)
Fitness is work. I just looked up the recommended exercise per week from the heart association. 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous is what they say. 30 minutes 5 times a week. That would be tough. I suppose if you hit a gym or do a 30 minute spin before breakfast every work day that would add up. If it is a habit then good for you. I do not think I could do that. My 2.9 hours is over double the vigorous number and I am vigorous. 3 times a week is what I can maintain.
Years ago I went nuts and did 5 times a week. 2 road rides and 3 evening spins over two months. Yes I did kick ass, but I had to neglect my teenage kids. Of course teenagers like when you leave them alone. I could not keep that up as I was being crazy. And now grand kids must be played with.
Another side of those arbitrary numbers is does that just get one foot out of the grave, or is it more than that? A serious and legitimate study found two or three times a week of 3 minutes spinning which included one push as hard as you can made significant health improvements. That is a lot less. The heart association does not make clear what one can reasonable expect from those minutes. Hey any moving around is good compared to the human potato. But what is the goal?
You need goals, but not goals as arbitrary things like pounds or inches or centimeters. I could lose gobs of weight and in the process lose all my fitness. Those muscles are really heavy. I set goals like doing eight minute hill in under 7 minutes or just getting to the top of Mount Seymour or Cypress. Of course my annual goal is finishing the WGF. I have no hope of winning, but that beer in the finishing plaza tastes real good.
To do those things takes all the things that we call fitness.
So it is raining and Spring is a long time away. When the season starts I will be fit I will be ready.
