The last few weeks has been a bit rough in Michigan.  It’s been cold, then seasonable, then cold again… I just haven’t had a drive to get outside to ride.  I start thinking about how cold it’ll be and I just cave to the trainer.  Then, my superstar daughter had a big Metro’s swim meet Wednesday, a glorious day by all standards.  I wouldn’t have missed that, so I didn’t get home till 6 that evening.  Trainer again.

As luck would have it, I had to check up on a job we’ve got only 13 minutes from my house, so I was home early, even though I technically didn’t miss any work time.  It was decent out, call it the mid-40’s (7 C), but I still envisioned being cold so I hesitated.  I was just about to jump on the trainer when the thought struck me; riding the trainer is freaking nuts.  I suited up, changed my rear wheel, and headed out the door.

I was glad to be outside within a tenth of a mile.  Wind at my back, 23-mph spinning easy… then a crosswind for a couple of miles at 20 followed by another leg of tailwind.  I was alone, with an out-the-door target speed of 17-mph, figuring I’d lose some when I had the wind, which wasn’t light, in my face.  The goal, after my interval session the day before, was just to enjoy a nice ride on my Trek.

My first mile into the wind was a little ugly – it was one of those headwinds that won’t allow you to coast or soft-pedal downhill.  I checked my clock as I rounded the corner, doing some quick math… 3:10 per mile, ten or twelve miles to go…  I chose twelve miles with the bonus lap, knowing I’d be cutting it close, but not caring.  I was feeling it, and it was glorious.

The rest of the ride wasn’t exactly grin-inducing, but it sure wasn’t bad, either.  The two mile stretch into the wind in the last four had me questioning my fitness a little bit, but I managed to power through it and pulled into the driveway with an 18.4-mph average.  A little over my target speed, but not my target intensity – which means good things for the season.

Now, back to the Title; my pitch for ditching the trainer.  I’ve been pushing hard gears on the trainer all winter long and it’s obviously going to mean a fun spring.  However, I tend to wake up a little on the sore side.  Sometimes, I’m so sore it wakes me up and I can’t fall back to sleep without taking a Motrin first.  Until this morning.  I woke up with a spring in my step.  No pain, no soreness, no tightness.  I felt like my joints had all been lubed up while I slept… I rode harder and for twenty minutes longer outside yesterday.  Oh, and I spent the whole rest of my evening last night with a smile on my face, thinking about how lucky I am to be me.

I never feel that good after a trainer ride.

Whatever it is, and I’m not even going to bother with a guess, “Thank you, sir.  May I have another?”  Well, maybe not today.  It’s currently snowing.  We’re a hearty people.