WHEN THE WIND WINS...
I hate when that happens. It doesn't happen often, but it did yesterday.
A big part of cycling (at least to me) is mental. Sure, the physical side can be a challenge, but more times than not, the mental side of cycling can either assist in a ride and make it worthwhile and memorable, or CRUSH you like you're a bug running through a stampede of buffaloes.
Sunday was a gorgeous day. Sunny, not too hot, but a bit humid. I snuck out for a 15 mile ride. The wind was noticeable that day, much to my chagrin. As it always does, I had the wind to my back for the 1st part of the ride. Glorious time out hauling around 20 to 25 mph. I knew though that the wind (now my friend) would soon turn into my bitter enemy as I made the turnaround right turn in a familiar ride that I can do with my eyes shut.
Sure enough, as soon as I cycled through the light on Rte 84 and turned right onto Rte 75, it hit me like a Louisville Slugger. THE WIND! "So much for my average," I muttered in between the "I HATE WIND" rants.
With 8 miles under my belt, I knew I had 7 more to go with a brute head-wind trying to break me. It didn't . I trudged on. I got all mental on the wind and won. I finished my ride with a 16.5mph average. A decent outing to say the least.
So, Monday morning I head out at 4:30am, hoping to get in 11 miles before work.
As I head down my quiet, dimly lit street, I feel it. MORE wind. STRONGER wind. WIND period! I wasn't in the mood. I was only 2 or 3 sips of coffee into my morning. "What the hell am I doing out on my bike," was a recurring thought going through my head... "Why?"
I muddled half heartedly through the first 3.42 mile loop in my neighborhood, fighting the wind at every turn. It's as if the old adage of "I walked 5 miles UPHILL... BOTH WAYS" was taunting me in the form of wind.
The wind won. I turned the cul-de-sac on my bike, but, as if a magnet were pulling me with tractor beams, I found myself dismounting and hitting the garage door opener and befriending my still warm cup of coffee, in the WIND-FREE environment of my home office.
I hate when the wind WINS...
A big part of cycling (at least to me) is mental. Sure, the physical side can be a challenge, but more times than not, the mental side of cycling can either assist in a ride and make it worthwhile and memorable, or CRUSH you like you're a bug running through a stampede of buffaloes.
Sunday was a gorgeous day. Sunny, not too hot, but a bit humid. I snuck out for a 15 mile ride. The wind was noticeable that day, much to my chagrin. As it always does, I had the wind to my back for the 1st part of the ride. Glorious time out hauling around 20 to 25 mph. I knew though that the wind (now my friend) would soon turn into my bitter enemy as I made the turnaround right turn in a familiar ride that I can do with my eyes shut.
Sure enough, as soon as I cycled through the light on Rte 84 and turned right onto Rte 75, it hit me like a Louisville Slugger. THE WIND! "So much for my average," I muttered in between the "I HATE WIND" rants.
With 8 miles under my belt, I knew I had 7 more to go with a brute head-wind trying to break me. It didn't . I trudged on. I got all mental on the wind and won. I finished my ride with a 16.5mph average. A decent outing to say the least.
So, Monday morning I head out at 4:30am, hoping to get in 11 miles before work.
As I head down my quiet, dimly lit street, I feel it. MORE wind. STRONGER wind. WIND period! I wasn't in the mood. I was only 2 or 3 sips of coffee into my morning. "What the hell am I doing out on my bike," was a recurring thought going through my head... "Why?"
I muddled half heartedly through the first 3.42 mile loop in my neighborhood, fighting the wind at every turn. It's as if the old adage of "I walked 5 miles UPHILL... BOTH WAYS" was taunting me in the form of wind.
The wind won. I turned the cul-de-sac on my bike, but, as if a magnet were pulling me with tractor beams, I found myself dismounting and hitting the garage door opener and befriending my still warm cup of coffee, in the WIND-FREE environment of my home office.
I hate when the wind WINS...
posted by Ray @ 5/05/2009
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