Character

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” - Lance Armstrong

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I remember talking to my father after his first heart attack. He was home from the hospital and on the mend. He was not yet ready to go back to work, but he was allowed to take walks. He had his nitro tablets if he had any chest pains. I sat at the kitchen table with him one morning and asked where he walked. He said he did not go far from the house because he might have pain. I found this a funny response. He knew everyone in the neighborhood. If he had any discomfort, he could sit on someones porch and take a nitro pill. I guess he did not want to bother anyone if there was an issue. But how would you know your limit? You have to push the edge a little to find your limits (we all have them).

Today was one of those days.

I went for a 34 mile yesterday. The winds were light, it was in the high 40's, and I had a good ride.

Today was tough. It was around 35 degF went I left. The winds were around 15 to 20 MPH from the south. It was cloudy. With the windchill, it felt like 25 degF!

Today was to be a hill day. I chose a route to do some hill work for the first 10 miles, head into the winds for about 5 miles, turn east for more hills for another 7 miles, and then ride 13 miles north back home. The headwinds and cold temperatures just drained the snap from my legs. I would get to the top of a hill, then freeze as I accelerated downhill. The headwinds felt like pedaling through molasses. By the time I got through the hills and headed north, bu toes felt like ice, my legs were stiff, and I just couldn't get my legs to turn fast. I plodded home.

When you have one of these type of days, you think of cutting the ride short. I could have just called the wife and have her pick me up. Though my speed was well under what I would have liked to see, I was not cramping nor did I feel like I hit the wall. I powered through it all.

It is expected to be in the high 60's and 70's by next weekend. I hope this character building only makes me stronger next weekend. We'll see . . .