Getting Beat!

We went out for a team ride today from Stillwater to Taylors Falls, over to Wisconsin and back to Taylors falls. I can honestly say that I got beat today. The wind was unrelenting!!!!!!! In five years of riding, I have never been buffeted quite so violently. To have to ride at between five and six miles an hour is horrible. I have to say that physically, I was on target by the way I felt. My hydration was good. My nutrition was going well. I was tired, but mentally, there was something missing. This is the first time that I can say I chose to quit. I rode 63 of the 75 miles, but I had checked out at about 51 miles.

My first year this decision to quit would have been soul crushing. Now, while it does not make me proud to say I chose to quit, I can handle the decision, and it's ramifications. I would honestly say this 63, was the equivalent of 80 miles. For the week if you include Sunday's Iron man I have logged 140 - 150 miles. My rest has not been significant enough to handle that much. My eating has been less than spectacular in the right choices that need to be made while training while not on the bike.

There comes a time in physical endeavors that you have to make decisions on if it is time to push or time to retreat. Today, I know I could have chosen to push through, but at what amount of mental anguish? Mental anguish is not a great excuse when you compare it to why I do this stuff, but in four years, I have not retreated, maybe todays lesson was one I needed to learn.

What was the lesson? I think it was to put my ego aside, and do what was right for me at the time. To accept that today was not my day, but I gave it what I had to give. I left it on the road, and I can still look myself in the eye and know that I am not a failure. I simply was not on my game in all facets. Tonight, I will rest, tomorrow I may ride a real light 10 to 15 to move the lactic acid out of my thighs. I may decide that rest is more important if the wind is still up as it looks like it may be.