CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM!

     Last Sunday our club ride started out with the wind more or less at our backs, and since it was early we knew it would only get stronger when it hit our faces.  So we enjoyed what we had and set a brisk pace.  I took a position close to the front, third or fourth wheel.  When riding in a paceline, you must be ever vigilant, so a lot of my time was on the hoods, fingers ready to brake should something occur.  Nothing did.  Going into the wind saw me off the back, which was a struggle, but in a more relaxed position.  Monday my left wrist wasn't working too well.  It took all week to return to normal.
     The wrist didn't deter any activities, it is just part of the story.  Wednesday, with crappy weather in the offing, I worked out at the gym, all leg work.  I had a harder time than usual with the seated calf machine, but got through 3x330x10 and 3x230x15 fast without incident.  Several activities later, at the standing calf machine, I felt pretty good, so upped the weight an additional 20 pounds, to 190, again without incident.  Wednesday afternoon the left achilles/soleus was really, really tight.
     Part of my winter strengthening regimen includes the addition of lunges (I know, I should have been doing them all along).  I've had so much success with push-ups, (as an aside, let me say that yes, I achieved 72 continuous, good-form push-ups yesterday; my age) I clicked on over to lunges.  My quad/hamstring strength is pretty good, so after some experimenting, I decided I could start with Week 3, Day 1.  That was on Thursday, early in the morning.  The rest of the morning was spent dismantling the twelve-foot artificial Christmas tree and wrestling it into the closet.  While taking it apart I felt a little twinge in my back.  Thursday afternoon I could hardly move.  I don't know the muscle, but it has something to do with my hip.  I incorrectly described it as a hip pointer, but in any case, my mobility was seriously impaired.   Most of Friday was on the couch or in the recliner.  Fortunately,  I had two football games on Saturday and Sunday to keep me entertained.  Aspirin, Epsom salts, and the couch finally had me moving by Sunday afternoon.
     All was well, and with the weather as cold and gloomy as it was, I didn't feel bad about not getting out to ride.  Yesterday I set up the trainer for thirty minutes to see if all parts worked as they should.  A-OK.  Last night, with a lapse of concentration, I managed to ram my quad into the corner of a table....  Another football game to the rescue.  Just a little soreness this morning.
     I'm blaming the Christmas tree for the hip problem, but just in case, I'll drop back to Week Two on the lunges.  There are five weeks until my first race.  I can't let my enthusiasm get me moving beyond my bounds and put me out of commission for multiple days.  I'm having too much fun.