Maybe it's the seat height...

Monday, April 11, 2011

My knee was still way too sore to consider anything other than cycling. It had been raining off and on throughout the day, but I still held out hope that the weather might break long enough to get in a ride outdoors. I picked up Jack after track in a light drizzle and began to strengthen my resolve to climb on the trainer. I was preparing to do that when John called. “How’s the knee, man,” he asked.

“It’s still sore, but I think its slowly getting better,” I said. He knows me as well as anyone and laid into me. “Look…take a couple of days off. You can’t ride in this weather and you hate the trainer. Give it a break. You felt lousy yesterday and with all the cramping, maybe someone’s trying to tell you something. Besides…you’re old.”

I know he has good intentions…and it is exactly the advice I would give to anyone I’m training that was going through similar issues…but I’ve never followed good advice or used common sense in these matters before…and I probably am too old to change. “I’m at least going to put some time on the trainer. I took two days off last week…I can’t do it again.” He gave up. He mentioned that the sun was actually poking out where he was before hanging up.

The sun poking out? Yeah…he was in Twinsburg and I was all the way up in Highland Heights, but could the roads be drying? I looked out the window and make a quick decision…get a little wet.

Actually, the roads weren’t bad at all. The wind was blowing hard and had dried them pretty effectively. I started my ride thinking about yesterday’s leg cramps though, since my legs felt bunched up in the position I was riding. Then it dawned on me. I’d changed the seat height on John’s bike when I’d gotten it…and it was probably a hair too low. I hopped off and raised it about an inch and started back. I immediately noticed the difference. I was getting more extension in my leg and felt I was getting more power with each stroke. I sped off, determined to ride the course I’d done on Saturday and compare the times to completion.

It went well…I was able to push hard even while climbing and managed to do the circuit 4 minutes faster than I had on Saturday…which had actually been a respectable ride. Some of it may have been my frame of mind…I was determined to ride hard…but I suspect the seat height made a difference, as well. I called John to tell him I’d ridden…and give him the chance to give me some more shit. He did…which made me happy.

Bike duration: 76 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1200.