Going out for a spin can turn into hard work.

Today I got in 40+ miles. On the way back home, as usual, I had a headwind; and it seemed to be strengthening. The forecast that I checked last night said, 7 mph wind; but it felt stronger than that.

And in fact it was. After I got home I looked at the weather site again. The wind had risen to 10 mph before I finished my ride.

When the breeze finally swung around so it was behind me, the fartlek mood struck. I made three efforts of 20-30 seconds to see how fast I could go; specifically, I tried to reach at least 20 mph. At least twice, I made it; and in fact, I touched 22.9 mph!

I was spinning at a fairly high cadence much of the time, at an average of 83 rpm. I also averaged 83 rpm during yesterday\’s ride, when I was specifically working on low-gear, high-cadence pedaling. That ride is probably why I felt a bit tired today. I usually don\’t do that on Saturdays, but maybe I need to get into the habit.

It\’s funny about spinning. In its own way, spinning is as tiring as mashing. It makes my legs feel oddly heavy. Mashing, on the other hand, is apt to make my legs feel burn-y.

It\’s something to  keep in mind when I go out for a \”spin\”.