Junk miles are good (sometimes)

Every training book that I have ever read and any coach that I have ever talked to has always warned against junk miles. Now junk mile are what many of us end up riding a lot of. These are miles that are too hard to be considered endurance or recovery miles but too easy to provide the effort we need to really get stronger. So we end up hurting ourselves but not quite enough for a really benefit. (I am sure you can find better descriptions of junk miles but that one works for me). Now many of us ride these miles despite the fact that we know better but it is fun to ride with friends that may push us to ride these types of miles so that we can keep up with them.

But I was out on my bike over the winter and fall and realized that I was riding a ton of junk miles. When I got home and looked at my computer my heart rate was too high for base but not high enough to really help me increase my VO2 max or other high end thresholds. The odd thing was that I felt great. I started to wonder why I was feeling so good while I knew that the training that I was doing was not the type that would make me stronger for this season. It finally hit me on one warmer fall ride. I was having fun with my friends. Sometimes we can get so locked into a training plan and making sure that we are going hard enough or slow enough to work on a specific area that we forget why we ride. I don't ride for glory or for wins (lets face it I am simply not fast enough) but I ride b/c I love the feeling of being on my bike. And that is why I miss it so much when I am not able to ride. I don't miss the intervals or crawling into a headwind. I miss riding with friends.

Junk miles may be bad for a training plan that can be absolutely amazing for the soul. So, if you have not had a FUN ride lately go call some friends and get in some junk miles for the soul.

I promise you won't regret it.