Not my best day (I just need to whine).

[Fredwina]

Y
Do you generally have issues with negative self-talk? I had a riding partner who really struggled with self-esteem and negativity, and this reminded me a lot of her. .....

A lot of times, you really have to know when to let the "good girl" stuff in one ear and out the other. and yeah, it's hard.
In short, I don't get paid to ride, so I why should have to torture myself?

[aly]

I don't think my problem is so much a lack of self-esteem, but is actually more of an expectation that I be great at everything. I'm a little bit of an overachiever and expect myself to be able to do it all well and do it all fast. Part of the reason it got me so down, was that I am usually a really positive person and was not happy to turn so negative. I just think I was really tired and moody and got a little hard on myself. I enjoy riding and generally I don't mind moving along at my own pace. Sunday was just hot and messy and I turned into 10 year-old me.

My plan from now on is to stop pushing myself so much each and every weekend. I'm going to find a ride to gauge my riding. I plan to ride that one route for a couple of weeks, and then, when it's improved, I'll step it up to a longer route. In addition, I'll throw in lots of spinning classes and an occassional longer endurance ride.

Geonz- Darn, I checked the tires and they were fine. It would've been so nice if that would have been the issue...

[aly]

I rode both days this weekend, and feel like I'm ok again. This week, I went to a couple of spin classes and I think they helped (at least psychologically). Instead of pushing myself too hard on a new route, I stuck to ones I've done before. Yesterday's ride was a quick 20, and I rode about a mile per hour faster than my usual speed. Today, I did 35 in the Santa Monica Mountains with wind and still did much better speed-wise than usual on the same route. The wind was really slowing me down, too, so I'm pretty happy. I kind if embarrassed to say that it also helped that I passed someone on a road bike on Sat during a climb- my ego really needed that.

So, all's good. at least next time I have a bad riding day, I can remind myself that that's all it is. In retrospect, I really do think I was pushing myself too hard. I had been jumping my distance at least 20% each week and increasing my climbing significantly. Now I see why that isn't a good idea, especially when you don't get to ride much in between! Maybe I should have followed more of the advice I had already read on here on other posts...

Thanks again for all the support and suggestions! It helps so much to whine a little (especially to people who know what you need to hear ).

[DirtDiva]

Also, it does take quite a bit of time to learn to pace yourself, especially over an unfamiliar ride. I completely suck at it. Would much rather just give 100% and then stop for tea and cakes to recover for a bit.

[sundial]

Aly, I noticed that I get emotional and have sleep problems when I've overtrained. I also noticed that when I laid off cycling for a whole week, my performance improved. You build strength through rest and recovery.

[quint41]

Man, I had one of those days yesterday! I was A MESS! Just four weeks ago, I rode my first century ever, and had a great time! Felt great. OK, felt a little sore south of the border, but you know. . . mentally, felt great! Yesterday, 33 miles just DID ME IN. I was A MESS! I was on the verge of tears. I practically threw my helmet when I got back to my car. I felt disgraced and discouraged!! My wonderful friends were all there to console me and point out that I've had a rough few weeks (Mom, aged 86, had open heart surgery and I had spent nearly all of my free time for 3 weeks in hospital and rehab with her), oldest daughter just started college, got the dreaded phone call from younger daughter's algebra teacher, got blown off by a guy I really liked, yada yada yada. I guess it all came to a head on the ride yesterday.

So, I guess on the bright side, I had a FANTASTIC riding season, especially since this was my FIRST FULL SEASON of riding (just got my road bike last Sept.) and I have an awful lot to be proud of! Onward and upward, as they say. Mom's doing better, the kids are doing better, I'm kicking the guy to the side of the road and pedaling on!!!

[sundial]

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CENTURY!!!!

I would love to share a package of oreos with you in celebration of you grand riding season. Cookies and a good ear always make me feel better when I'm blue.

[quint41]

Oh man, Sundial!!! I want to get you for my next Secret Sister!! Do you prefer double-stuffs? Or are you an Oreo traditionalist?

[slmdunc]

Isn't it fascinating how our mental state really can make or break a ride?

It's not like it's NEWS, or anything, but for some reason, as of late, I've been pondering this subject a lot and am truly intrigued with the power of a positive mindset. Mind you, I don't always FIND it! I've certainly had rides where I was in tears. Often times I think I'm "Lancette" on the bike one day, and a week later, I feel slow, dumpy and pathetic. What gives? How do we change our mindset once we get into a bad one? Is it even possible at that point? These days, major athletes and teams in all sports pay good money for Sports Psychologists to work on this issue. They've found "peak performance" in star athletes is more mental than anything. Again - in one way or another, I've always known this, but lately (I guess with regard to my own riding), I find myself oft chewing on this idea.

All in all, I think, aly, that you are doing the healthiest thing - which is to talk about it here with us, and then to get back out there. Don't worry! You'll find your inner Lancette again!

[Tuckervill]

You can change your state of mind simply by changing your state of mind. Easier: change your physical state, and your state of mind will change, too. A belief is just something you think over and over.

I was on the Katy Trail in MO pulling my dog in the trailer this summer. This turned out to be my longest ride ever to that point in time. On the trail going out I met a woman coming towards me in a motorized wheelchair. We exchanged pleasantries. I noticed that I never saw her distinctive tracks going the other direction all day, so I assume she used the trail for travel, and probably on a regular basis.

When I stopped for lunch, I met a guy that was traveling from Alaska to Key West by bike. He had broken his neck a few years ago and he was really stiff. He had also been hit by an elderly driver from behind while on his bike in Kansas just two weeks earlier. Watching him get off his bike was really painful. I don't know how he could keep on pedaling.

Later, at about mile 25 for me, I hit a serious wall. The sun was coming out after a cloudy, windy day (no rain!). I'd been on the bike for at least 3 hours and away from camp since 8 am. It was closing in on 3:00, and with the dog behind me my average speed was only about 7. The dog was getting too tired to run, but I made him run through the shady parts and pulled him in the sunny parts. The only thing to do is keep pedaling, so I started making up songs. "Just keep pedaling. Avoid the cracks. This surface used to be railroad tracks!" About 2 miles from camp, I just had to stop. I pulled a pillow out of the trailer and sat on it. The dog crashed in the deeper shade behind the trailer. I sat there a few minutes, drinking water, eating a banana, and listening to the cicadas and smelling the corn and sunflowers and weeds. Then, like a bolt of lightening, it hit me and I said out loud, "What the HELL!?! I'm not in any freaking WHEELCHAIR! I don't have to ride all the way to KEY WEST!" I zipped the dog back into the trailer, got back on the bike and sprinted the rest of the way to camp.

I just decided (with the help of two inspirational people) not to think the way I was thinking. That's how you change your mind.

Karen

[indigoiis]

I think of my future self talking to my present self. Like, me, sitting in a nursing home, thinking back to all the fun times I've had, sending out a message: "Come on, honey."

Like a self-created fairy godmother.

[Over50Newbie]

Just wanted everyone to know that I have ridden with Quint41 multiple times and she is an awesome biker! Much faster than I am. My friends and I have adopted the term "Quint Sprint" when we bike with her because she goes into the 'big rig' on the flats and leaves us in her dust.

Lynette