My fitness level has been obliterated in the past month. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I suspect it's the lovely crohn's disease or one of the medications I'm on for it.

I went from averaging 19-20 mph, able to ride up to 30 mph (though really temporarily and/or with some serious drafting), and riding my bike 159 miles in a flippin day to bonking at about mile 5, and really struggling to break 17mph. I was able to ride up small hills without losing much speed, now I drop to 12 mph. As some of you know, i was considering racing in what, July? Today I had to really work to do 20 miles. There was a headwing for half of it which kept my pace around 15. I felt bad for my ride buddy, who's much faster than I am on a good day. But he was cool and stayed with me. He commented that the change in me was pretty dramatic. Great.

This is really messing with me psychologically. I don't know if you guys have had this happen to you, but it sucks. I'm so close to just hanging my bike up in the garage for the winter and taking a break. I told myself I wouldn't stop riding in the winter because it was so tough to get back into shape in the spring and I want to race next year. I was planning on doing a century on Sunday but now I'm really not so sure. I haven't been riding as much in the past month, probably twice a week. Mostly because practically every ride I find myself struggling where I know I shouldn't be.

It's just so incredibly frustrating! I don't know if I should be depressed or angry.

Thanks for letting me b*tch!