Draggin' my ass

As of late, riding my bicycle is my biggest source of relaxation, stress relief and (as Ann would say) meditation. It's hard for me to find time to ride as much as I'd like to - I envy those guys who talk about the "magic number" and say that it's when they consistently ride 150-200 miles a week. I feel lucky to get in 80-100 miles each week and I've still got three times as much body fat as some people who don't get on a bicycle at all...

Today I made preparation to ride my bike. This is an undertaking since it means I need to get up earlier (I already get up by 5:00), get my riding clothes together, load my bike, prepare my bottles and pack a good lunch. Then I have to work hard to leave the building on time so that I can make it to my ride destination in time to change and be ready to go by start time. Today, I actually managed all of this. And then my legs felt like lead.

I managed two (after my parking lot warm up) laps around the track at AMS before Ann joined me. I think I finished three more with her before she commented that I was really draggin' my ass. I knew then that I didn't just feel slow and sluggish...I was slow and sluggish. My throat had begun to hurt, my ears were soar and I had the distinct feeling that I was coming down with a cold. Not what I need when taking steroids each hour...

I headed home after only 11.5 miles. Nothing makes me feel worse than having a bad night on the bike.

Riding at Claxton is going to be a disaster if I can't get on the bike and put in some miles.