Some Days Clarity, Other Days Pain

Instead of working today I went for a bike ride. Kind of ironic. Generally, I know I want to go for a ride and know that once on the bike I will be happy but the actual putting on of the gear and getting out the door can be a mental battle. Today was one of the rare days that I was extremely eager to get out and ride. The weather is beautiful, I could ride my speed on my bike, not worrying about guests that don't understand the intricacies of a hybrid bike and I could go as far as I wanted. I planned 40 miles, knowing that I would probably go 30 only. When I ride my bike, problems that I have been mulling over develop solutions with only the assistance of a familiar road and my mp3 player. Well, that is most of the time. Today, was different, today the whole ride was pain. I hit the 7.5 mile mark and was already thinking about going back, usually I have settled into a nice rhythm but I continued on anyway. At 10 miles, I needed to stretch and my saddle was already becoming uncomfortable. When I hit the turn around point in Winters, I took a short break but all that was on my mind was how much I didn't want to bike the miles back instead of reveling in the scenery. I remount and head back. The 15 long miles felt like the entire 30, all I can think about is each individual pedal stroke. I notice that my bike is dirty and the chain needs to be cleaned. Then each bump in the road is bothering me and my feet are becoming numb. I have to continuously stand up and stretch my legs. Of course, as I get back into town, all the lights are against me. I am so relieved as I pull into my house and I all I want is a hot shower. It is an extremely disturbing experience to not enjoy something I love so much so my solution...go out tomorrow and try for 50 miles. ;)

Thanks for reading.