Training Ride - Monday, 28 June

Today was a terrible ride. I'm just going to put it out there. I hated it. Reasons it, and therefore, I, was so miserable:

1. I mistook "GA Tech-Vinings Recovery Ride" to be just that, and did not expect constant hills to climb.
2. I left at around 2:30p, and it was very very hot and sunny. With about 4 miles left to get back to Tech I ran out of water and Gatorade.
3. I got lost (or at least couldn't find my correct turn) no fewer than 3 times. Each time I missed a turn meant that I had to climb a hill again. One street I went up and down two times and couldn't find it. At that point I called the ride quits (it was about halfway anyway) and turned around (and missed my turn on the way back).
4. I had problems shifting the whole ride: after adjusting the front derailleur last Sunday, I now have difficulty shifting to the middle from the big AND from the small rings.
5. I had constant trouble unclipping from my pedals, making stops treacherous and frustrating.
6. I could hardly hold up my head, my neck was so sore and stiff. I have gotten a stiff neck in the past, but never so quickly into a ride. I attribute it this time to be partially due to the climbs and having to hold my head differently to see uphill and partially due to the fact that I jacked my shoulders on Saturday filling my tires with the crappy pump.

I basically was constantly yelling at the hills, my shoes, the bike, my neck, everything. I was angry and frustrated and angry. Fury doesn't describe it. It was hatred of the whole thing.

Basically, it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad ride. It was slow, it sucked, and I hated every minute of it. I had the refrain "you can't" and "give up" and "who could you call to pick you up, even though you couldn't tell them where you are?" going through my head for the duration of the way back to school. I was so frustrated that I just wanted to cry. It was such a miserable ride. I want to cry even now, everything went so wrong. The only bright side to the whole damn thing was that by adding so many extra climbs when I turned around, it meant that I got to go downhill at least a little bit more.

Let no more be said about the ride except that at least it's over.

Stats:

Maximum speed: 31.5 mph
Average speed: 12.0 mph
Distance: 22.79 mi
Time: 1.53.05