Mental challenge

I had a meeting tonight, so I wasn't able to do the Tuesday night group ride. So, I went into work early and took a long lunch so I could get in a 40 mile ride during lunch.

The sun was intense, but the wind was very light -- that was hugely encouraging. With the wind so light I left with the goal of averaging 20 mph for the ride. About 45 minutes into the ride I noticed that the wind had picked up, and it was going to be in my face on the way back in about 15 minutes ... I reached my turn around point with 19.9 as the avg, but now the wind was really blowing. It was clear that there was no way to keep the average up. So the trip back was slow and challenging. It took just over 2 hrs and 15 minutes for the ~40 miles today.

With out question, the wind is my biggest nemesis: the benefit of having it to my back is never equal to the cost of having it in my face. Why is that??! It just doesn't make sense. When you ride an 'out and back' you expect that you will have a net cost of zero when it comes to hills and wind - you're going both ways so you should have equal benefit to the cost. But all who train know this is just not reality. There are even times when the wind is in your face both ways. Those are challenging mental days.. days when your character is training as much or more than the heart, lungs and legs.

So it was today: training on my character; my desire to continue; to finish below the goal - the value of finishing. It's a good lesson that I continue to be challenged with.

I just saw 3 meteors in the sky: one was long the other two were short. This was over about 15 minutes. I think I'm going to take another small bowl of Mint Blue Bell ice cream out with me and my camera and see what I can capture in 15 more minutes. Then I have to get to bed. (Shouldn't be eating the ice cream; I know.)