Functional Workouts: Love 'em!

My idea of a "functional workout" is one where I'm accomplishing something beyond working my body. You know, stuff like shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, moving a couple tons of 40# wood pellet bags, etc. One addition to the list in the past has been what I call "greencycling" which has been my strategy for bringing my car to the mechanic for servicing: bring the bike along, drop the car off, ride my bike to work and then back to pick up the car afterward.

Well today another opportunity presented itself so I took the challenge! My original plan was after joining with the bike club on the roadside clean up this morning I would take the car to the shop, which happens to be at the north end of Otsiningo Park, and then go for another 5K jog through the park while they were working on the car.

Problem was: they were backed up and would probably not get my car done until way later in the day.

So with nary a skip in my beat I came up with Plan B: Jog back home! It can't be TOO much further than the 5K I had intended to do anyway, right? Well it WAS a tad further...6 miles! And I managed to jog nearly the whole distance. The two times I walked: one of the bike club members caught up with me after this morning's ride and rode along side me while we chatted for a few...it was good to catch up with him. Plus on the way DOWN Kattelville hill I walked (after having jogged UP!). For some reason I would rather jog up hills than down...don't feel like I can manage my pace well while jogging down a steeper grade.

It was nice to jog back by the roadside our club had spruced up so well earlier today! :-)

I was a bit torn in deciding whether or not to join the club in the post clean up ride in that it was precisely the ride I thought I might do to get back on my back at long last...relatively flat, low traffic, good road conditions. But two things held me back: getting the car serviced & feeling a need to do my first ride of the year privately just in case I do something silly from lack of riding...rather work out the kinks without an audience...lol!

I spoke with another bike club member who takes anti-coagulants and he just gets on the bike and rides the same as ever, packing no first-aid kit at ALL!

So the question now is: do I let 'em keep the car overnight and jog back tomorrow to pick it up? OR...drum roll...do I just get back on that bike with "precautions" packed in my pannier such as band-aids, cloths and the like...?

Stay Tuned and Stay Sparked!

Don

ps...and OH MY what PERFECT weather to savor out there!! Cloudless, sunny blue, low 60s...YES!