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Riding outside = good

For about two years I've been doing great wattage-based spin classes. They cram a fantastic high-intensity workout into a short amount of time and I do feel like they help my cycling fitness. But I've been going twice a week since the beginning of this year. And when I'm doing a spin class twice a week, guess what I'm not doing? Riding my bike outside on weekdays. I have gotten lazy about riding outside. Two spin classes plus one long ride might make me fairly fit, but this schedule does not make me a great cyclist.

I'm taking a break from the spin classes for a couple of weeks so I rode outside this evening. On a weekday! I did an old favorite route, the Headlands loop. I used to do this ride twice a week after work, and today I couldn't remember the last time I rode it. Hard to believe. It's still the same wonderful ride, with plenty of climbing, quiet roads, and lots of late-afternoon wind. I especially love it when the wind howls in the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge. Tonight's ride had some gusts, but it wasn't howling-bridge windy.

Once I get to the top of the Headlands, I always ask myself why it's so hard to drag myself out the door for a ride. Especially when my reward is this:

And then on the other side, this:

I've gotta do this more often.

July 7, 2009 10:09 PM