Feeling too good

I've just finished a 35 mile bicycle ride through the hills northeast of town. Not so very long ago, this ride would have left me completely spent, and the rest of the day would have consisted of long naps on the couch while the television nattered away in the background of my dreams. There would be sore legs, which would lead to the gulping of aspirin, and complaints from the love of my life: "Is that all you're going to do today?"

But not today. I was tired after finishing the ride, but there was some strength left. The muscles of lower back -- usually the weak link -- were relaxed instead of cramping up. There was a short nap in front of Wimbledon coverage, but it only lasted 20 minutes. A quick lunch, and I'm feeling good.

Maybe a little too good. In the past three weeks I have been directing an athletic resurgence of sorts. It came after my usual nattering about, trying to decide whether to focus on running or bicycling, and wondering if there was some sort of athletic goal I to which I should be aspiring.

This probably is the undue influence of Dave on my thinking. He's big on goals. He likes measuring things, too, and recording progress. It's really kind of disgusting. But that's who he is, and I accept that, and listen to his Oprah-like goal blathering as one does a toddler who chatters away without making any sense whatsoever.

I avoid goals, because it requires commitment. What if, for instance, I were to focus on cycling, only to want to jump into a 10-k in a couple of weeks? What if I were to just run, with intent on competing in a marathon and suddenly wanted to get into some sort of citizens race?

So I decided that I would try to do both. Riding one day, running the next. The theory ultimately is that the cycling will give the legs a break from the pounding of running, and will be actually a "rest" day.

I've found that it's working exceedingly well. I'm feeling stronger. I'm feeling faster, both as a runner and as a cyclist. Now I haven't run or ridden with anyone, and I haven't actually done a competition or official time trial to accurately measure this feeling, so it all might be self-delusion.

In that case, when I do jump in with a group of cyclists, or sign up for a 10-k, I might be in for a mighty humbling experience.

And in the past, feeling too good has always led to bad things. An injury. A car breakdown. So I'm worried that although I'm experience the ying of getting into pretty good shape, the yang will clang down on my skull like a frying pan.