Like most cyclist, I put on weight over the winter and spend the spring getting rid of it. This morning I finally got rid of the last few lbs I put on. This winter wasn't too bad, I put on 10lbs of weight. This morning I stepped on the scale and was about 141lbs. Last september I got down to 140 after working my ass off from May.
Thinking back to high school. When I was a freshman, I joined the cross country team. My Senior year I was pretty active, but my resting heart rate was only about 64. The last 2 mornings I measured my resting heart rate and it was between 48-50. Going by that measurement, I'm more fit at 40 than at 18. In high school and college, my cardio was ok. It wasn't great.
Last nite, I went on a group ride with 5 of the wednesday nite A group. Boy, I got my ass kicked by them, but it was loads of fun. Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I don't mind getting dropped. It is humbling to see guys older than me fly up a hill like it's flat.
Looking at the splits for the ride, we were averaging 19mph on the climbs. They weren't big, only about 3-3.5% average grade. Last year I rode with the A group a few times and I got dropped hard. On similar hills, they were averaging 19mph, while I was averaging 16mph. Overall, I feel healthy and strong. The feeling of spinning on the road is a physical and spiritual experience for me.
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