Saturday, March 15, 2008

Predawn: 33 degrees and snowing

It's funny to throw the cross-country ski physique onto the rollers and feel my legs complain about forming perfectly circular pedal strokes after the different loading and range of motion required by skiing.

At least two months, maybe three, had passed since I pushed a pedal. Back in December I had barely been off the bike before I hit the rollers for a couple of workouts. Then this bizarre early ski season hit and never stopped. So I got on the rollers without fresh roller skills, but with a recently reinforced pedal stroke. It was easy to follow the music with a smooth pressure around the entire circle.

Now, trying to get some saddle time and begin reshaping muscle to the needs of the bike I felt how completely my body had committed to a heavily accented rhythm bearing weight fully on one side at a time. Even with very smooth music encouraging a high tempo without strong beats I had trouble controlling the urge to shift upper body mass from side to side to stay on top of what would be the driving leg in skiing.

With so much snow, I will have to do more indoor riding than usual. This will be good for technique.

I would get some studded tires and ride on the snomo trails, but judging by the sounds that travel all too well through the woods, the motorheads are out there 24 hours a day. Why deal with traffic any sooner than I have to, especially in the essentially lawless environment of off-highway recreational vehicles? I would much rather bushwhack silently on skis or snowshoes to places they won't go. There are fewer and fewer of those.

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