Road Rash => Rest Day

What can a cyclist do on a rest day? Write a blog post... So I'm on a complete rest day on account of I had my first crash yesterday. And am I feeling some pain today? Yes, I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Is it worse than my monthly menstral cramps? No. I am a bit sad that I won't have foxy arms & legs for halloween, but if it still looks gnarly I can dress up as a crash victim zombie and get some fake blood.

What happened? Well I'm still not sure, crashes happen really fast. What's going through my mind right now is (1) I ran 10 miles the day before and didn't get more than 5 hours sleep two nights in a row and worked long hours all week and I have slow reflexes even on a good day and therefore the bottom line is that I messed up (2) I got new tires and new brakes and this was my first ride after two major mechanical changes to my vehicle so the bike was to blame. The sweethearts I ride with keep offering to take the blame for me going down, but I'm just glad that I didn't take anyone else out. There is no ride worth going on if you injure yourself or someone else. I should have taken it easier that day.

What are my goals? Why put my body through this torture? What am I proving? And to whom? All these are great questions. The truth is that I don't know. I know I'm doing what feels good and right now I am training heavily. I enjoy the views and the outdoors and it brings me a warm and fuzzy feeling that lasts about a day-and-a-half. Which is coincidentially about as long as it takes for the pain from the exertion to fully hit my muscles. About the fourth day without a workout, I start to twitch and feel a pain in my muscles from not doing anything. If I go five or more days, I start to get really crabby at work and at home.

I just read a great article about how exercise can raise the baseline levels of both norepinephrine and dopamine. I think that's what I'm benefiting from. I know that without it I'm suffering. Everyone around me sees it, but I must endure. Luckily the cycling helps.