On the road again

We're forecast to have a run of warmer weather over the next several days - in the 60's F - so I wanted to get outside to ride before the weather turns colder which it will inevitably do.

As noted previously, I've been 100% on the recumbent on the trainer since I was cleared to ride and have been riding in a pattern of three days riding, one day off with the total distances for the three days gradually increasing. Since my first ride on August 9th, I've ridden 382 miles with my longest being 40 miles. On the last day of my last three day group on the trainer I rode the DF 24 miles to see how that would go. Although I could feel it in my back somewhat when out of the saddle it generally went well enough that I thought it'd be OK to ride a DF outside. I also wanted to ride a DF because the Cruzbike is a royal PITA to remove and put on a direct drive trainer.

Based on all that, my plan was to ride a DF for this entire run of good weather. I rode a custom bike that I took delivery of in Texas earlier this year that has a measly 500 miles on it.

In brief, today's ride was 34 miles with about 1500 feet of climbing. I rode at an easy pace the whole time. The weather really was lovely and the only downside was I was significantly overdressed. It was 45 degrees when I started getting ready but had warmed up to near 60 by the time I started - I was dressed for 45. I quickly shed a few layers but had a jacket on and nothing to replace it with so I was pretty warm.

In general, I felt OK. My left hamstring and calf hurt for the first 10 miles or so. I stopped and stretched a few times and that helped, after that it was OK. My back was OK for the first 15 miles or so, when out of the saddle I felt "pressure" in my lower back, sort of like someone was pushing on it, but I wouldn't describe it as painful. The longer I rode the more I felt it and it progressed to a dull ache which increased in intensity over the course of the ride. It never got to the point of being painful but I was feeling it more and more as the ride went on.

But I finished. The aftermath isn't all that pretty. I hurt. Everywhere. Given that almost all of the riding I've done post surgery is on the recumbent it's perhaps not surprising that my hands and arms are sore as is my butt (one of the real upsides of a 'bent is there are absolutely no butt related issues!). My back is sore but I'd say it's proportional to everything else. A session in the jacuzzi tub helped but I'm still pretty sore.

I've given up on my plan to ride the DF exclusively through this spell of good weather. I'm going to pull the recumbent off the trainer and hopefully will be able to alternate between them for several days. Given the paucity of miles on the DF, it seems like it'd be pushing it to ride it too much so although it's a pain I'll do the smarter thing and ride the recumbent too. Hate to miss any days of riding when it's so nice out!

Stay tuned!