Hello Old Friend.
I was at the weigh station when he snuck up on me.
I was lost in the trance-like state of a steady effort, and suddenly there he was. He just eased up effortlessly and slapped me on the head to announce his presence. I hadn't seen him much recently. He's usually out all of the time during the spring, then progressively he seems to lose enthusiasm as the weather warms. Once in a while he'll come out just to remind you who's boss and re-establish the pecking order, only to disappear again. With my recent layoff, I briefly thought our friendship had soured, yet there he was, full of bluster and confidence. He knew he could beat me.
"Hello, headwind."
I once read that a cyclist should always feel a headwind when riding. If you don't, you aren't pushing hard enough. Tailwinds are just a mechanism for going faster, not easier. There should always be something pushing you back and trying to slow you down, because resistance is the key to improvement.
Headwinds are just a fact of life. You can either accept this and try to build a one-sided friendship with them or you can fight a long, losing battle. I'm not sure the wind cares one way or another.
I ducked lower into the drops and kept churning away. As the road drifted this way and that I noted how his attacks to my face shifted, then adjusted my position further to minimize their impact. I noted with some surprise that I was sustaining a higher wattage than I had recently, then quickly put it out of my mind so the spell wouldn't be broken. The body was working well. There was no need for the mind to get in its way with negative thoughts.
When I turned off for the last leg of my ride, my friend finally decided that I'd had enough abuse. He put both hands on my shoulders and pushed me on my way before disappearing down the road.
I rode harder to catch up with him, because that's what friends do.
I was lost in the trance-like state of a steady effort, and suddenly there he was. He just eased up effortlessly and slapped me on the head to announce his presence. I hadn't seen him much recently. He's usually out all of the time during the spring, then progressively he seems to lose enthusiasm as the weather warms. Once in a while he'll come out just to remind you who's boss and re-establish the pecking order, only to disappear again. With my recent layoff, I briefly thought our friendship had soured, yet there he was, full of bluster and confidence. He knew he could beat me.
"Hello, headwind."
I once read that a cyclist should always feel a headwind when riding. If you don't, you aren't pushing hard enough. Tailwinds are just a mechanism for going faster, not easier. There should always be something pushing you back and trying to slow you down, because resistance is the key to improvement.
Headwinds are just a fact of life. You can either accept this and try to build a one-sided friendship with them or you can fight a long, losing battle. I'm not sure the wind cares one way or another.
I ducked lower into the drops and kept churning away. As the road drifted this way and that I noted how his attacks to my face shifted, then adjusted my position further to minimize their impact. I noted with some surprise that I was sustaining a higher wattage than I had recently, then quickly put it out of my mind so the spell wouldn't be broken. The body was working well. There was no need for the mind to get in its way with negative thoughts.
When I turned off for the last leg of my ride, my friend finally decided that I'd had enough abuse. He put both hands on my shoulders and pushed me on my way before disappearing down the road.
I rode harder to catch up with him, because that's what friends do.
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