Use Your Body as Your Barometer

Sounds simple right? How many people have lost money on everything from diets to exercise plans to exercise gimmicks? Very few people are comfortable with their body and most would like to change something about themselves. What is sad is that, it is highly likely, it is unnecessary. You know your body more than anyone, hopefully, yet you will read, buy and seek others to tell you what is best for your body. Makes sense right? Yea right!

The body is an extremely complicated piece of delicate machinery. It will fix itself and warn you when it has had enough, even though the latest fitness article or that $100 a session trainer says you can push harder. Trainers do an outstanding job of motivating though.

The basic body works the same as the next basic body does. The parts are the same, with some strategically placed variances of course. Unfortunately there are very important unseen differences that totally blow the theory that one size fits all when it comes to working your body.

For example; to ride better, farther, faster you need to ride daily and push your limits with each ride. Yes, that is paraphrased from almost all bicycle how to books. I am 61, a one time body builder, stayed low to medium fit through my middle(ish) year, with one heart attack and I'm very hard headed. I did the everyday ride push as hard as you can then push more. It really struck me when I read my training log and there was not the quality improvement to effort ratio. Besides that I hurt and it was no longer fun. I switched to every other day rides, with an occasional two in a row off days and BAM! My average speed has crept up, my distance has improved, I look for inclines to hammer up and cruise up hills that at one time I wobbled over the crest. Today was my short day, 22 miles rolling terrain and a 13mph average. Two days ago we took a neighbor out on his new bike, 30 miles at 14.4mph average. I could not get here while attempting to use the written, one size fits all, advice from the “experts”. What is even better, my body now wants to go for those rides and aches when we don’t. Unfortunately it is now telling me to lift weights again.

You need to listen to Your Body and work with it. It is the best barometer you will find, it is free and it is always pretty handy. Go back a bit to my earlier blogs and look at my suggestions and make them fit the way your body is comfortable. Keep in mind you will still need to stretch the length of your rides. But doing my “large badonkadonk, overweight, and out of shape interval” (Scribblings of the Legitimate Kind) will give you the strength and stamina to make those rides longer.

Next Post; Items Brought to My Atention

Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)

“G”