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08-03-11, 12:12 PM
It's crazy. I really don't know how to explain it...
After two and a half months off the bike the doctor said I could start again.
Being smart (sometimes), I started back eeeaaasssyyy.
Nothing over 5 or 10 miles. Lower gears, higher cadence, less "push"
I have three ways up the hill back home... I took the "easy" way.
Easy is 1/3rd mile of 2-3% with a very, very short 5% "kick" at the end which leads to a right hand turn up 1/4 mile of 7-10% (or so).
That went OK so, after about a week I started to steadily increase my effort.
Didn't take long to get most of it all back but then... it didn't stop there.
I feel really good on the bike, being all stretched out, and I have discovered the drops. The knees don't seem to hit the excess stomach as much as they used and I've learned there is power in the drops. Who knew?
I am spending much more time on the big ring (for me, "big" is 50T). Yesterday's 10 miles found me spending 9.5 miles riding the 50. I don't use the 30T at all except for longer, harder climbs and even the definition of "long" and "hard" have changed. Nearly all of my gear changing is happening in the back, now.
Now, the "hard" and "harder" ways home... one is about 1/4 mile straight up at 14% which slowly tapers to "flat" at the top in front of my house. The other way is a short climb at 10-11% which drops and lead me to that 14% wall. I noticed that I always do the first "hump" in my middle ring (39T) so I wondered why I needed to automatically drop to my 30 for the 14% part. So... I didn't. Left myself at 39x25 and started up. Cadence dropped way, way down and when it got tough, I stood up and pedaled at a walking pace (it's a fun hill to walk up, too). Then back in the saddle for a stroke ot two, then back out of the saddle. At the crest, where 14% turns into 10%, I look at my HR and I'm sitting at 165BPM. I'm allowed 170. This is nuts. Tried it a couple days later going straight up and it's the same thing. It's now become a trend and I'm seeing on other parts of my ride, too. One rise I now hit with my 50T and take it all the way up. That never happened before. Bigger gears, lower HR. Hm.
So, I don't know.
I am doing stuff now that, before the accident, I wouldn't even try because I did not believe I was capable.
Am I doing this because, in all that time, I forgot what I could and couldn't do?
Is it because I had 2 1/2 months of rest?
Is it because, I make myself rest for 2 days (or more) between each ride?
Am I just paying more attention to what I'm doing and riding better?
I am loving it.
After two and a half months off the bike the doctor said I could start again.
Being smart (sometimes), I started back eeeaaasssyyy.
Nothing over 5 or 10 miles. Lower gears, higher cadence, less "push"
I have three ways up the hill back home... I took the "easy" way.
Easy is 1/3rd mile of 2-3% with a very, very short 5% "kick" at the end which leads to a right hand turn up 1/4 mile of 7-10% (or so).
That went OK so, after about a week I started to steadily increase my effort.
Didn't take long to get most of it all back but then... it didn't stop there.
I feel really good on the bike, being all stretched out, and I have discovered the drops. The knees don't seem to hit the excess stomach as much as they used and I've learned there is power in the drops. Who knew?
I am spending much more time on the big ring (for me, "big" is 50T). Yesterday's 10 miles found me spending 9.5 miles riding the 50. I don't use the 30T at all except for longer, harder climbs and even the definition of "long" and "hard" have changed. Nearly all of my gear changing is happening in the back, now.
Now, the "hard" and "harder" ways home... one is about 1/4 mile straight up at 14% which slowly tapers to "flat" at the top in front of my house. The other way is a short climb at 10-11% which drops and lead me to that 14% wall. I noticed that I always do the first "hump" in my middle ring (39T) so I wondered why I needed to automatically drop to my 30 for the 14% part. So... I didn't. Left myself at 39x25 and started up. Cadence dropped way, way down and when it got tough, I stood up and pedaled at a walking pace (it's a fun hill to walk up, too). Then back in the saddle for a stroke ot two, then back out of the saddle. At the crest, where 14% turns into 10%, I look at my HR and I'm sitting at 165BPM. I'm allowed 170. This is nuts. Tried it a couple days later going straight up and it's the same thing. It's now become a trend and I'm seeing on other parts of my ride, too. One rise I now hit with my 50T and take it all the way up. That never happened before. Bigger gears, lower HR. Hm.
So, I don't know.
I am doing stuff now that, before the accident, I wouldn't even try because I did not believe I was capable.
Am I doing this because, in all that time, I forgot what I could and couldn't do?
Is it because I had 2 1/2 months of rest?
Is it because, I make myself rest for 2 days (or more) between each ride?
Am I just paying more attention to what I'm doing and riding better?
I am loving it.