invisible hill repeats

connect.garmin.com/activity/82437454

you don't gain mental toughness by sitting indoors in a comfy chair staring at an anemometer. you gain it by throwing your leg over your bike and riding headfirst into the wind!

today's ride wasn't about speed. it was about strength, physical and mental. the anemometer said the winds outside were sustained at over 20mph. the mind said, "i can take on that wind." the body went along with the mind to see what it could do.

my original thrown together plan was to do one-mile "hill" repeats - a mile into the wind with a mile recovery with it at my back. that was my plan when i turned north on argonia road, but it changed after the first out and back. i decided to try two miles out the second time. i'd do that and then another one-mile repeat. i did the two-mile hill and then decided to do a ladder with a three-mile "hill" in the middle of it. i did the three mile out and back and turned to do the second two-mile repeat. then a wild idea hit me. "why not ride four miles out? how much more can it hurt?" i actually broke out in a wide grin at this point. i thought, "some people mistake mental strength building for insanity!" i'll admit there's a fine line between the two. i didn't cross it today. really. i did my four mile out and back and then for good measure i tacked on another one-mile sprint into the wind just to say, "i win!"

so now, quit your whining and get out there! you've got a mental battle to fight! go out and conquer! (22.94 miles @ 13.6mph)