The Unbearable Lightness of Being… Well, Lighter

I feel like a teenager again.

That is to say, my body mass has changed so rapidly my co-ordination is struggling to keep up. I’ve become an uberklutz.

It was to be expected, I suppose – I lost 1/4 of my mass in 100 days, then put 1/3 of that back again in about a week. Of the weight I regained so rapidly it went from water weight to replenished fat stores to muscle in a month, redistributing itself and screwing with my balance even more. The good news is pushups and situps are way easier now. That makes me feel stronger even though it’s false – there’s just less weight to push up.

The other day I wrote about my new workout toy – a bicycle. It’s true what they say… once you learn how to ride a bike, you don’t forget. It’s been years since I’d been on one, yet on my first day back in the saddle I rode for hours.

The real test of workout stiffness is 48 hours later; when you’re beginning a new weight or cardio routine you’ll be sore the next day, but even moreso the day after. It’s to do with how the lactic acid builds up and crystalizes in your muscles, a trainer once told me.

I couldn’t ride yesterday due to the second deluge falling from the heavens. I was thinking of gathering animals by twos and picking up some lumber when the rains finally let up, but by that point it was night. A flat black bike ridden by a chap in a black helmet, black gloves, and with mostly black clothing, in the dark, and just getting used to sharing the road with car,s is a recipe for owies.

So I waited. It’s now been around 48 hours since I popped into the Bike Doctor and picking up my custom-fitted bike. Because I practically riding the wheels off it that same day, I expected to be stiff.

Nope.

A friend of mine explained it thus: because biking is low impact, and doesn’t put stress on your joints or ligaments, there may be a slight amount of muscle stiffness if you’re not used to motion at all but not the same kind of stiffness you get from jogging or weight lifting.

In fact, other than some mild soreness from sitting in the saddle for so long, I don’t feel any ill effects whatsoever. Another point in favour of cycling for those looking to get in shape.

Today I plan to ride down to the gym, have my weight workout, then ride home. Book-ending weight lifting with cardio warms up your muscles and offers some post-weight stretching as well (though specific stretching is still recommended). This means I don’t need to spend 1/2 an hour feeling like a rat in a wheel as I run on a treadmill. Woot!

Low stress, low stiffness, changing scenery, and a feeling of childlike freedom. So far cycling is seeming like one of those “why didn’t I do this sooner?” things.

I’m sure when winter hits and it’s -40° out I won’t be as eager to hop on the bike. But right now it’s August. It’s warm, it’s sunny, and the road beckons.

Gotta go.