Saturday was supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees! Woohoo! 60 degrees in March? I’ll take it! I was so excited about the prospect of some warmer weather and getting some vitamin D. So when Michael suggested we go for a bike ride, I said definitely.
Then we played the oh-so-fun game “What do we wear biking today?” It’s a sometimes frustrating game because until summer time, it’s really hard to gauge how cold it will really be outside on the bike. We both rode around our cul-de-sac while we decided what to wear. I settled on no cycling tights, just my super-pale bare legs in shorts, and a short sleeved cycling jersey with my arm warmers. I wore one of Michael’s base layer tank tops underneath my new cycling jersey.
It was cool in the shade and the wind was strong, but once we were in the sunshine we were comfortable. The arm warmers were the right choice. I ended up taking those off later. Michael and I biked from our house to the I-205 Bike Path and headed North. There was a headwind the entire way but I didn’t mind it.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know it’s been a long time since I was out on my bike for reals. In fact, November was the last time I ventured out on my bike outside. For the last four and a half months or so I have been faithfully going to Spin class once a week. My goal was to increase it to twice a week but I still haven’t done it because that would mean giving up one of my weight lifting days and I don’t want to do that.
My hope was that Spin class would keep my base steady throughout the winter. Saturday was my chance to see if it worked. The verdict was not quite what I was expecting. The first medium sized hill I came to almost killed me. My THIGHS WERE ON FIRE. I kid you not. I got to the top of the hill where Michael was waiting at a stop light, my heart rate was 170 (that’s high for me) and I was out of breath. Damn.
Each big hill was a challenge for sure. I was starting to feel discouraged about all the time I’ve put into those Spin classes. And then the hills got easier. Maybe I was just rusty? The hills got a little easier, my recovery time improved, and my energy was just fine. I did not feel tired at all, even with a headwind.
The even better news? I did not feel fatigued in the saddle at all. I think Spin class has at the very least has kept my comfortable sitting in the saddle. Plus, all the weight lifting and core work kept my upper body, back, and shoulders from getting fatigued.
The downside of the beautiful spring day as that my allergies really wreaked havoc on me. I’d also forgotten to take any Claratin before the bike ride.
We turned around and headed South on the I-205 Bike Path to where it connected to the Springwater Trail. We decided to take the trail West into Sellwood to stop somewhere for lunch.
We ended up at Pizzicato for lunch. Michael ordered a slice of pizza and a spinach salad. I got the mozzarella, spinach, basil and tomato panini. Ever since that delicious sandwich I had at the East Side Deli, I’ve been craving a panini. The one I had for lunch was quite good. The spinach salad with feta, tomatos and pine nuts was even better.
Looks pretty good, huh? It was! After we finished our lunch we headed back home. It was still warm and sunny out and I was enjoying my time on the bike. I still felt comfortable on the bike and was really happy that we went out together.
Stats:
Time: 2:15
Total Calories Burned: 1101
Total Mileage: 23.25
The verdict of my Spin class is that I am going to continue going because I feel like it has kept me comfortable in the bike saddle. My goal is to now challenge myself more on the hill climbs in class. I think I’ve been going easy on myself.
QUESTION: Have you noticed a difference between a fitness class and the actual fitness outside of the class? Was there a big difference for you?
Suzanne @WorkoutNirvana
Awesome! Your core and strength training can only help your riding. And sorry it’s so chilly there! Was about 75 here today and 80 tomorrow.
Lisa Eirene
RUB IT IN! 🙂
Yes! I am feeling pretty darn good right now so I think the strength training has helped tremendously.
Jayme @ Still A Mile
What a fantastic looking bike ride! My husband bought me a bike for Christmas and I’ve been dying to get out and ride it. Sorry to hear spin didn’t quite work out the way you wanted– I love spin class and I was kinda of hoping it would help me too 🙂
Lisa Eirene
Spin class DID help, just not in the ways I thought. Today I am feeling really good–no soreness or saddle soreness. And that’s half the battle with cycling. I hope you get to try your new bike soon!
Karen@WaistingTime
I find cycling class harder than riding outside! I guess because outside I can sometimes coast or get a downhill? I don’t know when I’ll get on my bike though, still waiting for my calf to heal.
Lisa Eirene
I noticed that too, Karen. When I was out yesterday I had a “duh” moment when I realized I could coast outside but not in the class. Haha!
Cheryle
Wasn’t Saturday INCREDIBLE weather? I swear everyone in Portland was walking around with a goofy grin on their faces, I know I was! I love it when it’s sunny and not hot.
My husband and I celebrated by taking one of our so-called “Epic Walks” – which is where we park in some random part of the city and just walk wherever our legs take us. Yesterday we parked at 19th and NE Broadway, walked over the Steel Bridge, then North along the waterfront/Naito to Lovejoy, then a left on 21st to Burnside. Then we worked our way back through the Pearl, over the Broadway Bridge and back to our car. Whew! So fun and we discovered a lot of neat things.
Regarding your question, I don’t currently take any fitness classes but I find running on the treadmill WAY harder than running outside. I know most people say the opposite, but my times are always so much better outside. Maybe the scenery distracts me from how hard I am working. 😉
Lisa Eirene
It was absolutely wonderful on Saturday! What a nice treat in the middle of the gloomy spring we’ve been having. I LOVE your idea of “Epic Walks.” That sounds really fun and like a good way to explore the city. I might have to borrow your idea and try that on the next nice day here. Do you have the book “Portland Hill Walks”? A friend has that and loves the book. I’ve been thinking about getting it.
As for the treadmill….I feel like the actual workout is harder on the street (i.e. I am more sore after running outside than on the treadmill) but I feel like mentally the treadmill is much harder. It’s so easy to get bored and quit.
Cheryle
Epic walks are really, really, fun and we always discover new things while on foot. For example, we came across an amazing little bistro on 11th and Marshall called “Via Delizia”. We had been walking for awhile and it was so charming and inviting with its little sidewalk table in the sunshine. We had intended just to get coffees, but that plan was immediately changed when we saw their absolutely AWESOME selection of homemade gelatos! There were probably twenty flavors (maybe more) and some were very unusual that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I had an amazing carrot cake gelato with real pieces of cake in it … so amazing it was hard to limit myself to a small. 🙂
I don’t have that book, but it sounds like a good one! Interestingly, our last “epic walk” a few weeks ago went up into the hills. We parked at 2nd and Clay and walked up into the hills to Washington Park. We “discovered” a moving Holocaust memorial that we had no idea was there! On the way back down the hills, we found a great little hole in the wall pub on SW Jefferson – I need to remember the name of that because they were soooo friendly and had a pretty impressive looking menu …
Lisa Eirene
That sounds lovely. It’s been years since I had gelato. There’s one in Sellwood I’ve wanted to try for years. I need to do that.
I do a lot of walking during my lunch break at work and I’ve discovered a lot of cool places and cute neighborhoods as a result. Walking is a great way to discover new places.