Dead Weight

YOU GUYS. I think it's going to be in the 50s and not raining on Sunday which means I'll get to brush off the cobwebs and ride my bike! I'm so excited. I think I really needed a few weeks away from riding to really get excited about it again. I've been really enjoying spinning classes lately which is always a bad sign - it means I've forgotten what a real ride feels like.

In the meantime, shall I bore you with more weights talk? Last night I deadlifted 115lb. I deadlifted Jennifer Aniston. This is HUGE for me, considering that a year ago I couldn't even begin to pick up the 70lb pre-set bar at all. I couldn't even conceive of it. My goal is to deadlift my bodyweight and I'm pretty close to that goal.

I was feeling pretty great about this last night until I looked over and the skinny dude next to me was deadlifting FOUR HUNDRED pounds. Sheesh. Whatever. Showoff.

I'm currently working on strength gains, so I'm doing four sets of four reps. Four reps isn't much, so you really have to lift a lot to make it work. I'm stuck at 25lb dumbbells for my dumbbell bench press. It's just too much of a jump to 30lb weights - I can't get them lifted in place. I wish my gym had smaller increments because I can't see how I'm going to make that leap.

Have I bored you enough yet? Anyway, I PROMISE I'll come back to you with a ride report after Sunday. I am determined to spend some time on my bike. In the meantime, check out the photos my husband took the other day when it was all icy and foggy:

Deep Dark Cycling Secret

Here's a secret: I don't actually like to suffer.

Which is why I have a 40 degree rule when it comes to outdoor cycling. I am...what is the word? A wuss. A WUSS. I don't like to be cold, my joints don't like it, my lungs don't like it, my toes don't like it. DO NOT WANT. On New Year's Day I broke that rule and went out with the group for a cold, cold ride, regretting it almost immediately. I don't really have the right gloves or shoes for cold weather and ten minutes into the ride I couldn't feel my fingers (which is grand when they are what pull your brake levers) and I couldn't feel my feet, also important.

I whined, just a little bit. But I stuck with it and eventually everything warmed up except my toes, which just went completely numb, solving that problem. We didn't stay out too long and I was 100% relieved to get back into the warm house full of post-Christmas cookies and whatnot. Gah. I haven't ridden since then. I learned my lesson. I am not currently training for anything and I have two gyms at my disposal, so why suffer?

I don't want to dread the idea of riding my bike, so instead I've been working really hard at the gym. I've been taking three spinning classes every week and continue to lift weights three times a week. It's been enough to keep me fit and the spinning, while not a perfect substitution for riding, at least keeps those muscles going and keeps my bike butt from going soft.

The saddest part: that the photo above? That was taken in DECEMBER. Not long before Christmas. It's so sad that one day it's warm enough to go out in short sleeves and two weeks later the high temperature is 20. What is that? Bleh. Hurry up, spring.