Riding inside...

Friday, September 30th, 2011

The rains fell unabated and flooding had taken over the Metropark. Parts of River Road were closed as the water from the Chagrin and its tributaries continued to rise. There was no way I was doing the Survival Workout there and so I decided to put it off until tomorrow…by which time another 4 inches will have fallen, improving the situation immensely.

I thought I could make it at least until October, but I caved and put the Univega back on the trainer. Jason had dropped off a couple of movies for me and I decided I’d plug one in and ride for the entire showing. I normally struggle with an hour on that thing and this way I’d push it out to closer to two hours…like I’d ride outside. I put in a fantastic but seldom seen Michael Caine movie ‘Shock to the System’, a black humor film about a guy who eliminates his annoying wife and unsavory bosses, immensely improving his own situation along the way. I was surprised to find that the stationary riding went pretty easily…probably from all the riding I’ve done over the summer…and made it to the end of the movie without a hitch. Jack saw me emerging from my office covered in sweat and asked if I’d had a good workout. “It was okay…but nothing like riding the roads,” I replied. He was puzzled by this, figuring you never get to go down hill on a trainer…and he’s right. But the resistance the road and wind provide and the rolling terrain with significant climbs easily compensates for the down hills. I suppose I could make it harder indoors by increasing the resistance, but then I’d never make it 90 minutes. Well…it’s a moot point. I won’t ride outside in the rain and snow so I have to make the best of the trainer. And I’m going to put more effort into it this winter because I want to come through the winter in mid-summer form.

Bike workout: 90 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1,200.