You are the weakest link.....goodbye

I haven't been riding much. These were my last few rides:

Kal-Haven 74 miles
Barry Roubaix 33 miles
Yankee Springs 11 miles

Not terrible...but that was stretched out over 5 weeks. I have been eating like garbage and have gained some weight back. I slowed down. Back in June I was getting faster....feeling awesome. But with that confidence I got the feeling that I could eat more and it wouldn't hurt me. I was wrong.

I loaded up my Trance this past Saturday and headed to Fort Custer. Dave W., Chris C., Jay B. and Jimmy K. were all at the trailhead and we headed out. I figured I had a fighting chance because Dave and Chris were on fatbikes......but it was short lived. We took a route that I had never ridden before. We broke out onto a road and I got dumped on the first climb. The second climb was worse. Good bye friends. They were waiting for me at the intersection mad we started back to the park. The downhill was awesome....fast. Gravity loves me....and downhills are fun.

We hit the blue and worked our way back to the trailhead. Once we regrouped we headed out for another red loop. It wasn't long before they were gone again. Once again we regrouped and boom....they were gone. Goodbye. This is when I started thinking about that damn game show "the weakest link" and that awful host that tell the contestants goodbye when it was this time to go.

My issue is this.....I wasn't the weakest link for a time. I could keep the faster riders in sight and while I was getting gapped....I wasn't getting dropped. I felt more like a part of the chain...a stronger link. But here I am again....the weak link....struggling on every climb and feeling awful in the process. The good news is....I can do something about it. I can drop the weight. I can ride more. I can close that gap down. I can be a stronger link.

I was in a bad place mentally for quite a while. It sucks. Those commercials that claim depression hurts are right. You just don't want to do anything. You are sore and don't have any energy...which makes it worse yet. Thankfully I have people in my life that help me get out of those ruts. Help dust me off when I pull myself out of the rut. For the record.....I am feeling really good right now.

Rode a slow lap with Dan s. at Yankee last weekend. Got pounded at Custer this past Saturday...but still went and rode another tough lap at Yankee Sunday afternoon. Today.....I hurt. But the hurt I feel was my choice.....my doing. One pedal stroke closer to where I want to be....