2nd Metric and one nasty headwind

Good Deal, I not only got in a ride, I got in my second metric of the year. I felt really good for like four hours. I got out on the Eriksen and was comfy, I may have to rotate the grips a little. I decided to try a different gearing today, and threw on a 34t Surly chainring. 34x16 may be good on some days, not as much on this day. The roads were squishy, and it was windy. Feeling good for four hours would be good except that I fell in the most rookie mistake. I know better. My intended route through Oxford and Amana fell through when a series of level b's were impassible. So I headed south with the winds coming strong, 15-20 mph, out of the WNW...and I went too far. I felt too good with the tailwind, and although I knew that the wind was strong, I thought I could staircase back. I was wrong. I ended up in Lone Tree feeling good and then turned north and got punched by a nasty headwind, directly in the face. The pace changed from 16-18 mph to 9-11. It got real cold, and real tough. Worth it though as it got me my second metric of the year and fifth ride over 50 miles so far this year, including one century. Almost one per week isn't too bad. It will be really interesting this year to see how the easy races play out. Last year I was religious on the trainer, probably five to seven hours a week. Unfortunately, that only got me interval style training, and my longest rides were maybe 40 miles, and that was only two or three times. This year I haven't ridden as consistently, some due to laziness some to surgeries. I have though gotten in much longer sessions of time actually riding the bike. The long rides are good mental training for the endurance races this year. Being broken down to where you think you may fail and then not being able to and having to suffer is good. The more times you get put down to that level of thinking, and then work yourself through and succeed, the easier it is to stay positive deep in a race, or when something happens like a flat or hitting a tree and pulling your grip off ten miles into a 50 mile race...grr. Hopefully doing the Feb. century with Steve on Sunday. So a lighter ride Thursday will be in order and then after Sunday get ready for CIRREM. If it is like today it is MTB for sure... dries up I'll bring the Cross-check. Eriksen would probably go back to 32x16 unless it is going to be a nice day. Ride breakdowns like this: 5 hours 21 minutes on the bike, 64.88 miles, 1183 ft climbed, calories burned in the 6000's, 2 strawberry pop-tarts, 2 cinnamon brown sugar pop-tarts, 1 cherry pie Larabar, 48 oz of green tea, 1 8 oz diet Redbull, 2 impassible roads, 1 bad decision (which led to), 1 nasty headwind.

Oh and I made tater tot casserole after the ride... it was delicious... then I had some Frosted Flakes... and a Mtn. Dew.