White to Horn Mountain - 80 Miles

(click to enlarge images)

(click to enlarge images)

Garmin Connect Ride Data

The route today for some of us started at the brewery for the 80 mile course and for others it started in Adairsville. We met up with the Adairsville group a several miles into our warm up and from there we headed back toward Adairsville and then on up to do Horn Mountain. From there was the fast descent and fast pace in an area called the Pocket until we hit the store stop around the 51 mile marker. Soon after the store stop my legs had about enough of the fast pace so I dropped off the back. Gary, Mike and Edgar stopped for me, but I just had nothing left in my legs to push a descent pace so I sent them on ahead. From about mile 68 to the finish at 79.5 I was on my own so I can't say what or how the group did from that point forward, but I do know I was the last in so everyone made it back safely.

I dare say how many was in the group today, but we had a good turn out and everyone seemed strong except maybe me. I suppose my training during the week did it in for me as each day during the week my hips, hamstrings and quadriceps just kept getting tighter even though I was putting good effort to stretch. I knew I was going to struggle today, but to be honest I didn't care since I had the route and for a change we had great sunny weather.

I have come to the point of acceptance that training with the power meter during the week leaves me less than fresh for these spirited group rides, but I am still happy to complete an eighty mile route even with the fatigue and to boot I didn't cramp once even though I was coming very close to it at the end.

Sure the lower performance is a bummer, but what overshadows that is to look around and see that people in the group are enjoying themselves. There are smiles and there are friends in this group. Someone may ask me if I had a bad day and my answer would be definitely no.

Bad day or Good day is all about perspective.

I had a great day with my cycling my buddies, I completed the 80 miles under fatigue with some spirited pacing at times, the weather was fantastic, the route had variety and we all made it back safely. To me it was a great day for the cycling addiction.