Back in the Saddle

I did my first ride of the season today and it felt great to be back on the bike after a five or six month break. I rode a fairly easy 40 miles, a modified version of the ride we fondly call the "Runcible Run" since the halfway point is the biker-mobbed bakery in Nyack, The Runcible Spoon. A normal Runcible Run would start with a ride across the George Washington Bridge and then an almost straight shot up Route 9W. However, 9W is very hilly and can be pretty challenging when you are just warming up for the season. So my ride began in Englewood instead and wound through New Jersey and New York suburbia to Nyack. The Runcible Spoon is the best possible place to have a break during a ride.

There are a million different ways to refuel here, some of which likely undo half the benefit of the ride, but it's a tradition and the 25 or so other bikers there at any given time seem to agree. I had half of a PB&J on whole grain, a respectable mid-ride snack, and then finished it off with a "hostette," Runcible's version of the cream filled Hostess cupcake.

All in all, the ride felt great. It took about 2 hours, 45 minutes, which is slow compared to what I would usually be capable of, but it was the first ride of the year and can only get better from here. My legs are strong from a winter spent in the gym, so it wasn't as tiring as I expected. The only downfall is that I've been battling a stomach virus for the past four days so I stared out this morning a bit weaker than I'd like.

I have to digress to swimming for a moment. After my swim on Friday, I hit the gym Saturday and worked on my upper body to compliment the swimming. Who knew swimming could make you so sore! I probably should have skipped the gym because my back, shoulders and arms were achy today. I think I'll sleep in tomorrow, try to kick this virus and get back to it all on Tuesday. After all, there will come a time very shortly where I'll barely get to take breaks so I should enjoy it while I still can.