Riding With MoC

There was no morning shiur this morning so at 5:30 a.m. I rode about 25 miles to Lido Beach. I was going at a decent clip but I could have gone faster. My heart rate monitor was at a steady 145 - 148 bpm which is about 75% of my maximum heart rate. Had I really wanted to work hard, I could have gone to 153 - 155 by pedaling faster (The road was flat and I was already in a very high gear) but I wasn't in the mood for the pain or extra effort.

I have been riding a lot, both on my bike and on the spin bike and I'm hoping to get on my spin bike later this afternoon for another 45 minutes. So, I told myself to pull it back and leave something for later.

Experienced riders and trainers always tell me to listen to my body and know when to take it easy or even take a day or two off. It's against my nature to do sports in any way other than all-out so that it very difficult advice to accept. When I did the New York City Marathon 10 years ago, I had to pull back at times because my body really started to break down. Now, however, the more I ride, the stronger I feel.

So, this morning's ride was unusual in that I allowed myself to take it easy. Was I dogging it or just being smart (for a change)?