Not As Fast As I Feel

Cycle Day

time- 1:41
distance- 27.4mi

Today's route was almost identical to Monday's, except I started out by doing the super short ride to Dole, which added the four miles. And I felt slow. Or rather, I was slow, but didn't feel like I was riding slow. I felt like I was working pretty hard but my watch disagreed. The whole front half of the ride took longer than I think it should have.

Determined, I set off for the second, harder, half with the words, "This is where we get stronger," in my head. Ok, I said it out loud. A few times. It helps. And I do think I went faster today than Monday on that second half. I tried, I pulled with my hamstrings, using being clipped in to my advantage. I was down in the drops for nearly all of it. Two reasons for that. One, its faster. Two, it was windier than usual today I being lower helped keep me from getting too pushed around. I blame the wind for some of my slowness. Also, I blame a bug. Not sure what it was, but something got in to my jersey on the way back and bit the crap out of me. There I was, riding along, trying not to get clipped by a passing car, when suddenly, "Ow what the mother of gaaa!" To a passerby I now look insane, slapping and grabbing at my side. I felt something crunch and I shook shook shook my jersey to be sure I got it out of there. Judging from the still sore red welt right at the tip of my shark's nose it was a good-sized insect. Sent, no doubt, from some competitor scared of my
blazing speed and trying to get in my head. Not gonna happen, sucka.

So I tried hard today, which earns me a gold star, but don't feel like I worked hard, if that makes any sense at all. Tomorrow will be a longer than planned run because the wife and I are spending the weekend in Waikiki for our anniversary and I'll be killed if I try to work out. So swim/run tomorrow and then instead of Friday rest I'll go for a long ride.