The Psychology of it

Day 24 Prattville to Columbus, Ga ... 115 miles in 6:35 at 17.2 mph. Another annoying day in the saddle. The rough roads really take much of the joy out of cycling. Chip seal is just crap to ride a bike on for hour after hour. And we had around 4,000 feet of climbing. But what's wonderful is to be in an interesting town, a university town, within walking distance to all a great downtown has to offer ... if only for a few hours. We usually end up on the edge of some small town, with a WalMart and a Denny's as our shopping and eating destinations.

Day 25 97 miles from Columbus to Perry in 5:30 at 18 mph. A terrific day on the bike, the group of 7 worked flawlessly together. And the roads were fantastic! The threatened storm didn't materialize, and the weather was perfect. 2 days left to ride, and we can almost taste the salt water.

The psychological aspect of this ride is interesting to watch. There are many times during the day when I feel I simply can't continue. My legs are lead, and there's just no way I can spin them around one more time. Yet, somehow I do. And then the mind goes into depletion ... and I simply want to pull over to the side of the road and take the 'ride of shame' into the hotel. Yet, somehow I don't. Will is an interesting force to experience. I said I would, so I do. Somehow.

At the beginning of today, I was running on fumes, with absolutely nothing to give. By mile 88 I was doing double pulls, hammering for 2 miles instead of one. It's just fascinating to ride, and watch the internal emotional/mental/physical ride.