I don't wanna...

(Week 5, Day 1, Monday, July 5th)

I didn't ride today. I could have ridden. I should have ridden. But I didn't.

I can blame it on last night's complete lack of sleep, or prolonged soreness from Saturday's 60 mile venture; but, the reality is that I just didn't want to. I had absolutely no desire to do so. I fear that this nonstop training has begun to put me at odds with my genuine love for the sport. Once pleased and excited at the sight of my two-wheeled friend, I now look at it with a hint of disdain and sorrow.

I've read that once exercise becomes more of a chore than a pleasure (especially in cycling), it's probably safe to bet that you're overtraining or just overdoing it somehow.

I fear that I have reached that point.

My true love for cycling comes from speeding down hills and feeling like I'm flying. It comes from witnessing the sunrise, the sunset, and all the hours in between from a slower, less hectic point of view. I love getting to experience nature at its finest and having the opportunity to drink in the magnificence of God's handiwork. I also love waving to all the nice people sitting on their porches during the warm, lazy days of summer.

Now when you attach heart rate monitors, cyclocomputers, and time trial helmets to all of that, the quality of the ride, in my opinion, can diminish quickly and greatly. There is a time and necessity for all of the gadgets stated above, but I don't think I need them right now. I'm tempted to just throw out the training plan completely and simply ride for the sake of riding at whatever pace I desire. Otherwise, I may not end up enjoying the RTR as I wish, or the journey its taking to get to that point.

Perhaps this extra day of mental rest will allow me to see my bicycle in a better light tomorrow. After all, it's not the bike's fault.

(In other news - GO Team Radioshack!)