I bought a Pugsley, it was on sale $300 off at the lbs. So, I did go out yesterday on my Specialized. Main and most side roads were clear, afternoon with mostly bright sunshine but a cold breeze. I don't like riding roads due to traffic, but our paths are not plowed in the winters, so I stayed as much as possible in a couple of large subdivisions and off the main roads. Is it really possible I got that "out of shape" in 3 weeks? It was tough, I was slogging along and managed to do a piddly 10 miles. I guess part of it was watching for traffic, I'm usually on trails and ride generally late evenings or 3-5 am, when it's quiet. But I felt tired and winded. Maybe just an off day by then, but I had an hour at the gym in the morning with a personal trainer and felt great when I left there, and I have been putting in about 6-7 hours at the gym each week over the holidays, plus trying to do an hour or so of something out in the snow each night after work, so it's not like I sat on my rear and drank Absolut 24/7 the last three weeks. March/April may be rough. I guess I do need to either set up the trainer or start using the stationary bikes at the gym to keep the cycling muscle set going - I think there is such a thing as "muscle memory" where the body "recalls" what a specific activity entails, and you lose it if you don't keep up. I should ask one of the trainers I work with, they both have exercise physiology/kinesiology degrees.
