Cold Slow Thursday

Summary Data
Total Time (h:m:s)	1:33:38	3:43 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	1:33:18	3:43 pace
Distance (mi )	25.09
Moving Speed (mph)	16.1 avg.	28.6 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+513 / -513
Avg. Heart Rate	125 bpm	Zone 2.8
Temperature (°F)	38.6°F avg.	39.2°F high
Wind Speed ( mph)	S 10.4 avg.	S 11.5 max.

Start Time: 05:12:45 AM
Odometer: 1306.38

After a relatively strong start, I just kept getting slower and slower throughout the ride.

Lack of breakfast? Could be. The wind was quite strong on the return (the Wind Speed applied to the workout never does justice to the lakefront winds). It took about 11 minutes longer to return than to go out.

Hard to know why my rides lately seem slower than I would expect. Part of the problem is a failure to push myself consistently for the hour or so on the ride. When I can see the computer, I think I do a better job of challenging myself to hold 18 or 19 mph. I also do better when I have someone I am trying to chase (I would probably do well on a group ride for this reason), but I currently lack the discipline to push myself as hard as I want on the bike.

I used to think that cycling was not a 'hard' enough sport to get a good workout---and I think this (false) opinion came from hitting these sorts of periods where I could not find the challenges I needed to keep up the pace. I don't know whether I am hitting a training plateau for the moment, whether I am holding something back due to cold, or what, but I really want to ride in the 140-150 bpm range and hold it there one of these mornings.

So under 40F is not bad, but it is getting there. At 1.5 hours, my fingers were numb and the toes were heading there. Everything else seemed fine. Should be slightly warmer on Saturday and downright balmy on Monday. My goal has been to ride outside through Thanksgiving and hit 1500 miles. Seems to be a completely attainable goal at this point. As long as it is in the 40s, I should be able to manage 50-60 miles on Saturday.