Would you rather ride outside or inside? Pre-corona virus I would have opted for outisde all the time. My commute was perfect and I rarely used my indoor setup. Outside riding for the win. Now I’ve changed my tune. It’s about being active enough that I can close in my rings everyday. Exercise enough, stand enough and move enough to close those rings. When I do close my rings I feel like doing a little dance, a high five, a jig, a chest bump. You get this idea. I accomplished something.
My commute is a memory. Maybe it will return, maybe it won’t. I’m living one day at a time and I know that the fall will mean more changes so I’m focusing on one issue at a time. In my last post I talked about just riding around for the joy of riding and I defiitetly enjoy the random spin. I have even done some errands that involve gardening so I’m outside browsing at plants or buying something for my salad garden. It’s fine. Summer in the Northwest is dreary right now. Clouds dominate the weather forecast and I haven’t been as motivated to ride outside when it’s cool, cloudy and overcast. Zwift to the rescue.
Why does Zwifting feel like I’m somehow cheating on my other bikes? Is it because I sweat a bucket of water or melt like snow in a sauna? Is it because it’s wicked fun and I feel compelled to yell at other riders, “Oh, no you are NOT going to pass me you sly weasel!” Recently while Zwifting I was in the cat and mouse chase with another rider. He’d get ahead and then I was speeding by. We did that for about 15 minutes. Massive fun! I wanted to use wave feature on Zwift Companion to push him off the road. You can’t, of course, but the race was on! Yeah, I was in the zone alright. Mean zone.
My cousin met up with me for a little Zwift time in the Watopia lands and it was a blast. Using the Request Meet Up feature was a little challenging but we got it figured out. However, I felt the same competitve beast rise up and I had to have a little talk with myself about my behavior. The interesting thing is that the competition aspect of it means I was working hard. On Strava after a ride you can rate your “perceived exertion” on a scale of 1 to 10 and I notice that I deflinitely push myself to a level I don’t always get in my daily commute or in my spins around the city. I was expending myself and loving it.
The first 5 miles seem like such an effort it’s any wonder I keep going. I’m bored and I’m fighting that part of my brain that just wants to read a book or do something else more interesting. Then I’m suddening moving at a good pace and it feels like I’m a professional racer. Suddenly I’m seeing speeds of 18, 20, 25 mph and I see a group up ahead or someone tries to overtake me and BAM! another 5 miles are done. Okay, I’ll go another couple miles but suddenly I think maybe I can do 14, 15, 20 miles. It’s not like I have plans to do anything so I can keep going. Outside I never go that fast nor do I have that sort of focus. I’m taking in the sights and sounds and enjoying the ride in a different way. I’m in my head and thinking, planning, reviewing whereas in the Zwift lands you’re on a ride to increase your XP, the experience points and level up. I started in March at Level 9 and up to 12 now. I don’t understand it all but I’m getting better with every ride.
Above you can see my set up. The picture on the left was when I first set up the Kickr and my 2006 Trek Portland. Our basement is in a state of s l o w remodel but this room on the right has a nice view. I put my road bike on the stand and all-in-all the set up is more than adequate. I switched bikes. I wasn’t using the lovely carbon fiber bike, so she’s on the stand now. The next thing I need is a fan because of all the sweating.
I bought a Wahoo Kickr to have a bike set up in case I couldn’t ride due to weather. It was my backup riding plan. Zwifting was essential to getting my weekly mileage. Since the start of the pandemic I have been trying to continue getting my weekly mileage, however, some days I go toe-to-toe with the blahs and I don’t feel like going outside. It’s easier to put on my kit and Zwift inside.
My commute is on hiatus and my Zwifting has taken center stage.This development is surprising to me. I wouldn’t have expected my Zwift road bike set up to replace my commute. I clip in and go, go, go. I escape the heaviness of the coronavirus unknown by cycling into the depths of a virtual world and I love it. I’m not spinning my wheels. On the contrary, I’m energized, inspired and restored by the experience. That’s helping my XP both on and off the bike.
There’s this quotation from an enlightened character named Socrates who was a gas-station attendant in a book published in the 1980s by Dan Millman entitled, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. It goes something like this, “You have many habits that weaken you. The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” It often gets attributed to the Greek philosopher, Socrates.
Thanks for reading. Take care of yourself.
Be well.
-BG
Bike Goddess 