Sunday, June 12, 2016

Subterranean Home Gym Blues





On Saturday I surpassed 2,000 miles, year-to-date, and that’s not bad. Lately I have been feeling strong on the bike. Though I am not always sleeping well—a challenge with my overnight work schedule—I seem to be getting enough sleep to allow for good riding. But my commitment to upper body strength training has suffered. There never seems to be a good time to head downstairs to the home gym. I should be averaging 3 workouts per week, or about 70 so far this year. I’ve done only 31. That’s dreadful.

I need to fix this problem now or it will start to affect me on the bike. You probably know cyclists whose backs, necks and arms give out. It’s bad enough to be sore after a ride, but really bad to be sore during one. A racer who’s distracted by upper body aches isn’t giving 100 percent. But that’s not me; I have been super durable. I’m steady as a rock while other guys are wasting energy as they contort themselves in search of comfort. Against some opponents, that’s the only advantage I have! So, this week I recommitted to my strength training routine. Maybe the best time for it is early morning when I’m winding down from my work shift and not yet ready for bed. And maybe when I finally get to sleep, I’ll sleep better in the knowledge that I’m taking care of myself the way I should.

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