Moving Muscle Aches

Sunday, April 15, 2012


R and I have this ride we've been doing now off and on for several weeks, Plomosa Road.  It starts just a few miles north of Quartzsite ("Q") and has a moderate hill climb for 9.5 miles, then a moderate downhill and some rollers for another 10.5 miles till the road tees with Highway 72 at the little nothing town of Bouse, AZ.  Nice little community park in Bouse, a public library located in an old portable building, a thrift store,  small market, and a bar.  There may be other things as well but these are the things I see on our way into town.  The bar spouts the friendliest bartenders (NOT)....the first time we stopped in, we were served a beer then the tender proceeded to go outside and smoke with some local patrons.  We finished our beers and would've had another, but he never made a motion to come back inside and see if we needed anything!  The second time we were served, more attentively, by a very severe-looking woman whose face would've probably cracked open if she had ventured a smile.  Oh well, it's not the destination, it's the ride!

So yesterday, we did the Plomosa Road to Bouse ride again.  This time we beat the times we had done before.     It helps when there's no wind.  Last week we did the ride and came back (downhill) in a 30 mph quartering headwind which slowed our pace to 10-12 mph when normally it would've been 19-24!!!  That was NOT a fun day.  Total time that day was 2:40.

But yesterday was good.  We got to the top of the hill in 37 minutes, some seconds.  All the way to Bouse in 1:04:30 (hours/minutes/seconds), didn't even get off the bike this time, turned around and back to the starting point in 2:09:50!!!  The last mile I started to sit up because my neck/back around and in between my shoulder blades was paining me.  This non-aerodynamic maneuver dropped us down several mph, then Rick says we're/he's trying to break 2:10 on the trip.  That means I need to get down and CRANK. Okay, okay and we did it, averaging 18.6 mph.

Man, my neck/shoulders hurt!  Not as bad and two days before, but still reminding me that all the muscles that need to get in shape are not there yet.  After the initial leg fatigue, my moving muscle ache went to my mid/lower right side of my back.   That ache is pretty much over now, but now it's the neck/shoulders.

What will be next?