On Saturday I went on a ride from Rancho Santa Fe to Palomar Mountain and back. It is a round trip of about 90 miles, but it was super windy, and COLD!

I have been riding a bit, but I have just started to do some longer rides. This was far and away the longest ride that I have done since last year. It was even more difficult because of all the climbing.

I always forget about those first few hard rides of the season. They are always more painful than you remembered from the year before, and it’s not only physically, but mentally challenging. I was suffering so badly on the way up the final climb that I actually thought a couple times that I might have to stop and pretend like I was checking out the view! Fortunately, it was so cold that even stopping lost its appeal, and I kept moving forward.

My point to all this is that even when it seems pointless and hard, you have to just keep moving forward. I’m not saying you can’t take a break, but it’s those miles that you just have to get through on your way to fitness. It doesn’t matter how you get through it, it’s not pretty, but you need to do it. I can’t remember the last time I felt like I was going to bonk like that. The problem was even when I got to the top, I knew that I had to ride all the way back home, and it was mentally exhausting.

I was lucky enough to be riding with a small group and we had a support vehicle, so I had plenty of food and clothing, but it was still a challenge to turn the pedals. We all go through it, and its something that we can share as cyclists. No matter how fast or slow you are, we have all gone through the ups and downs, and its part of what makes arriving at your form even better.

So, Spring is here! Get out and Ride!

Ps. I want to give a shout out to the guys I met up at the store at the top of Palomar. Thanks for worrying about me having enough warm clothing! I had a big bag in the car, and was comfortable on the way down