Satisfaction.

Some days, you've just got to feel satisfied after a good workout. Today was one of those days.

Today was the 3rd day of trainer rides in a row, and I was feeling it. It's hard to describe what it feels to ride a bicycle on a trainer, versus riding on the road. You are much more stationary (at least I am), and your rump seems to get that little bit more irritated from sitting longer. You do not coast on the trainer like you would in a real world ride. You spin, and the resistance remains the same (like Led Zepp, right? The Song Remains the Same). You spin, you mash, you grind out those seemingly never-ending minutes and seconds, trying to remember why the hell you're sitting on you bike in your kitchen, sweating like all hell despite the fact that you've turned the heat down to 60 F. Even a fan offers little relief. After all, you are riding a bike in the house (or basement, or attic, or wherever).

And the feeling in the legs is hard to describe. For me, it's an initial stiffness, sort of a built in resistance unit in my low body. There's that ever-present dull ache in my low back, reminding me of the two times being cut open and having been probed at the L5 S1 level. This will never go away, they (they, being the doctors) tell me. Thats fine, I can handle a little dull ache and occasional pain, sometimes a full scream of stiffness and just plain hurt.

This lasts maybe 4-5 minutes, as my heart rate begins to slowly rise. I'm usually at or near 70 bpm when hopping on the "fixy" in my kitchen, and I watch my Polar F6 start to count the seconds, as my heart begins to pump more blood. Look, it got up to 100 in no time. The next five or so minutes, the legs loose the stiff feeling and begin to flat out hurt, the large muscles screaming at me for being on the bike for the 4th hour in the past 3 days.

10 minutes go by, and we're up to almost operating temps. The HR has steadied out near the low 120s, and the blood flows a little more freely. 15 minutes, starting to sweat real good now. I increase my cadence, and the HR continues to creep up, 130...132...135...140.

30 minutes, how many songs have I listened to? 45 minutes, feeling pretty good now. Legs don't hurt, HR is 150s and I'm having some fun. Before you know it, I'm at the cool down, and easy 5 minute spin, then shake those legs out and time for a snack. Today was a little Taco Dip and hummus with chips.

Totals today:
60 min
145/165 HR
718 kcal
45% fat cal