Lately, as I try to improve my performance and strength, I'm embracing the "ride so it hurts" outlook and enjoying it, too. Last night on the way home, I made my best time ever. I rode my Lemond which is too small for me, and the handlebars are too low, so it makes my shoulders and back hurt. I plan to install a taller stem. Interestingly, when I ride this bike hard, my leg (or really butt) muscles hurt in a very small area whereas on my Raleigh, I feel the exertion in a much wider area. I guess that is because of positioning, and it's not clear to me which is more beneficial. By the time I got home, I was rather stunned and really wanted some rest, but I had a whole lot of heavy furniture to move, so I did that, too. I'm taking a rest day today, though now that it's lunch time, I'm regretting the rest day. I could have ridden, at least gently.