I Left Home Without My “Legs”

There are times on the bike when things are more of an effort than they “should” be.  This was one of those mornings.  I got out of the house early enough to enjoy the pre-dawn light and watch the world wake up.  I made it to the Rusty Bridge with plenty of time.  I had already arranged to ride the slower pace this morning, so I wasn’t pressured to go fast.  The humidity levels were dramatically lower than yesterday.  But as the group started out, I could tell that my legs just didn’t seem to have the normal strength or stamina in them and by the time we were 1/4 of the way into the ride, I was suddenly struggling.  My legs simply ached and didn’t really want to turn the pedals.

For me, when this kind of thing happens, then there is often a cascade of other issues.  My focus narrows to the effort rather than enjoying the experience.  This morning I was soon dripping sweat as if it were a lot warmer.  My headband was soaked and sweat was running into my eyes.  Sweat was dripping off my nose and chin.  My nose started to run.  I was a mess.  Still, I labored on, enjoying riding with Mike B once again and listening to his tales from his 2 day bike trip to Lewes, DE and the one day return trip.

I managed a 17.1 mph average on the morning … and have no idea where that came from.

This Ride: 23.2 miles
Month: 306.1 miles
2012: 3,261.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 17,115.5 miles