Quote Originally Posted by gabriellesca View Post
Anyway - as I was doing my regular route, which is a very slow ride - 13 miles in 50 minutes - I was enjoying the scenery and my bike and it dawned on me ... I don't have to find a group to ride with, I don't have to do another century, or a metric, or a 50 miler. I can just be happy and enjoy riding this way.

I know this is silly - but training for that Century and having a BF who is a super cyclist, and pressure from others asking about when my next long ride is was making me feel like I had to keep going on a level that maybe I'm not interested in.

Just thinking out loud - nice to realize I can still totally love riding, love my bike, love the sport without having to be so intense about it.
Wow, that the way I feel. In fact, this year I decided not to even keep track of my yearly mileage anymore. I just ride when i want to and how long i want to- it's so liberating! I don't think of myself as a cyclist, I just think of myself as a woman who loves riding her bike. Just like when I was a kid, except now I can go wherever I want and come home whenever I want.