Dead legs...

Tuesday, May 20, 2013

Dan called to tell me the Jeep was ready for pick up, but Savannah had asked me to go to the Tribe game so I needed to make other arrangements to get the vehicle AND miss a great opportunity for another long, challenging ride.  Picking up the Jeep means riding from Highland Heights to Chardon via the Chagrin River Valley.  Chardon is the highest point in Northeast Ohio and the Chagrin River is the lowest.  Basically, it’s uphill and into the wind when visiting Dan…but I like that.

When Savannah got home and we looked at the evening’s forecast…sixty percent change of a rainout…we elected to skip the game.  It meant I could make the ride but that I might be doing so in lightning  and thunder – a non-issue.  My left hip was still sore, but riding is such a forgiving sport that I figured it too would be a non-issue.

I took a longer route - direct is only 16 miles – managing to make it more like 30 and taking closer to two hours.  The temperature was 87 degrees as I filled my water bottles and slid them into their holders, which meant I’d be dropping major sweat quantities and maybe experiencing some cramping.  I rode at a more casual pace to compensate, which for me means dropping my speed about 2 mph and makes a world of difference.  Even with that adjustment, my legs were quite fatigued as I climbed continually along Pekin Road heading east.  The skies remained overcast, but with no raindrops falling, I continued to take my time though it never felt easy.  At least my hip was feeling fine even as I got out of the saddle to climb hills.  I arrived at Dan’s relieved the ride was over and feeling old and tired.

“You are old and tired, so you should feel that way,” Dan said.

I can’t change old, but I can fix tired.  I’ll just have to get out there more often and longer until my body thinks it’s not so tired anymore.

Bike duration:  One hour and 45 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  1475.