I’ve never been into training early. I have done it before, but my mind and body are always protesting. It’s alright after an hour or two, and it is nice being done riding early morning, but that isn’t enough for me to sign off on it. Plus, I read somewhere that the majority of heart attacks during exercise are before 7 am. Not that I’m worried about that.
I remember a long time ago, when I was living in Boulder, a friend, Jon Neff, and I decided we were going to hike up Longs Peak. You’re supposed to start early, like in the dark, to miss the afternoon storms, but we got a late start. We were driving down through Lyons a little before 6am and this line of triathletes comes riding by. There are something like 20 riders on aero bars training. I was thinking that they had to have left before 5 to be out there. I didn’t understand it at all.
Anyway, this morning I started riding before 6am. My friends from Louisville were hoping to start driving home by a little after 7 and Stacie wanted to ride an hour before they left, so I told her to come by before 6 and we could do it.
It is dark here until 7. I put the trainers out on the back porch. It was around 50 out, so pretty good trainer temperature. Stacie put on some music and we rode. The hour went pretty quick. I was sweating and a little cold at the same time. Anyway, done riding by 7am, right when the sun was rising. That is very unusual for me.
I can’t say that I feel that happy about being done. I’ve been getting up pretty early, like way before 6, the past 6 weeks, so it really isn’t that early for me. But I’d rather ride later. I’ll ride again tonight. My head seems to feel better if I ride the trainer maybe an hour or so before I go to bed. I’m not sure what that is all about, but whatever makes it feel better is something I am going to do.
It is supposed to rain all day today. Kind of a fall day. My riding gang went out and rode gravel on the Flint Hills west of Topeka. Pretty primitive roads for Eastern Kansas. So Karl got in close to 100 miles the last two days. All on gravel. I would like to be doing that, but I have to ride inside for a few more weeks most likely. I can’t really complain.
Okay, back to watching cross. I didn’t expect November to be like this. Seems like the month took forever. But, like I said above, I can’t really complain.
Stacie and I before.
Getting ready to ride.
Riding in the dark.
I’m as bad as you…is that shirt just about broken in?
fergie – Yeah, the shirt is close to done, but I love it. The biggest problem is many of the button holes are nonexistent, which is a problem. Other than that, it is alright.
You should really do a post one time about how you modified that tunturi ergo. It looks pretty sweet, and I bet you could pick one up and modify for a lot less than one of these crazy expensive new fangled ones
Glad to hear you are slowly on the mend.
The “Tunturi”. How very generational of you.
Brian – Yeah, the Tunturi has a few upgrades. Had to make a custom bottom bracket to fit normal road cranks. I’m using SPD road pedals, so just ride my MTB shoes. New handlebars and seat. Other than that, pretty normal.
I’m going to start riding my bike on a Lemond trainer soon. I didn’t have it until a couple days ago. Man, I’m not sure what happened in the wreck, but the rear wheels is destroyed big time. And actually, when I first started training, there is a fair chance I would have fallen off a regular bike on a trainer. The Tunturi is pretty stable compare.
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” No sense in replacing the shirt until it’s really done.
nice. what kind of numbers are you doing on the trainer now?
I used to work mids (3-110 when I lived in San Antonio. i would go to bed between 12:00am – 12:30 am and get up at 7am. I was out on the road no later than 8:30 (usually closer to 8) and be back in by 10:30. Then it was a shower, a short nap, clothes change for work, and off to the job. Repeat.
Although I hated mid-shifts, I did enjoy those morning rides, especially in San Antonio – getting out before the summer heat kicked into full gear was nice.
Steve, it’s natural that you wouldn’t think of this, but people who train early in the morning often do so because they have a job and a family. Often it’s either train then or just don’t train.
I don’t love getting up at 4:30 am for a 5am ride, but I forgot where I heard this first but it generally rings true;
“no one misses you before 8:00 am”
How very informative
Thanks dave..