LAST WEDNESDAY was a perfect day for an outdoor ride, so a-riding I did go.  As with so many of my other prep rides it had multiple purposes.  First and foremost was the intention to get some miles in my legs.  Without that all other purposes are secondary, if not entirely superfluous.

Secondly, I wanted to just enjoy the ride, and the day.  After all, if it isn't fun and your livelihood doesn't depend on it, why do it?

Finally, I wanted to gauge what a "typical" day on tour might look like and feel like.  Would I be pressed for daylight if I took my time, stopping often for pictures or short rest breaks?  How long might I expect it to take, to cover an average day's distance (knowing that distance traveled is only one of many factors that affect total time required)?  

My route was (almost) long enough and (I think definitely) hilly enough to stand in as a representation of what a "typical" day on tour might be like, although I was battling neither the wind nor extreme heat nor rain nor a shortage of water and snacks.  So, in my mind at least, it "counts" for calibration purposes at least.

All went well during the ride.  It certainly fell into the "unhurried" category and, although I was no longer fresh and raring to go by the end I wasn't absolutely spent, either.  The long break I took just a few miles from home (I ordered and consumed a small pizza) was definitely a good thing to do.

Then came Thursday.  I knew I'd be somewhat sore in the legs and I was, but not so bad as I thought I might be.  Instead, a nagging stiffness in my left lats and delts and the left side of my neck led me to decide a nice massage would be a pleasant treat so I booked an hour and a half for that afternoon.

It was everything I hoped it would be.  Until I tried to get off the table.  WHAM!  A great, wracking spasm in my lower back nearly chucked me onto the floor.  Everything from the lower part of my spinal column around to the tops of my quads on both sides was in instant agony.

Torsion was not a problem- I could turn in either direction- but anything that involved hinging or even the slightest flexing of either my abdomen or the muscles just above my pelvis immediately triggered another round of pain.  As you can imagine, the walk to the car was... interesting.  And who knew that even turning the steering wheel a tiny amount actually involves those same muscles?  I do, now.

Once I got home, experimentation proved that the most comfortable place for me was the floor, so I lay down next to the bed for a few hours to let everything relax and return to its proper state and position.  It eventually got so that I could lie on my back or either side in relative absence of pain, so I gingerly tried the bed itself again.  Much better than the first try, and I could activate the heating pad to further warm and relax the affected muscles.

Friday and Saturday showed continued improvement, to the point where I could (guardedly, and with caution) resume more-or-less normal activities.  Saturday I also applied some BenGay patches all the way across my lower back and around my sides.  I think that also helped.

My working hypothesis through all of this was that I may have overdone it on Wednesday's ride, even though I was really trying to stay within my limits.  So, I was curious, and a little worried, about how a spin would go.

That took place today.  The pace and resistance were more-or-less typical of what I've been doing recently, as was the total time.  I am pleased to report that, so far at least, I have not experienced a return of the agony nor even twitches in my back.  It's only been an hour since I finished so the jury is still out but at least there's hope for a positive verdict.

Next time outdoors I may resort to riding in a less-challenging area, or perhaps on a bike that does not have my full complement of touring load on board, or both.  Here's hoping for the best, and for NO repetition of this experience- especially when I'm actually on the tour and committed.