There will be days in every athletes regimen that just do not feel great. A workout will scheduled. You will get into the workout and it just feels off. The best description I have heard is that you just do not feel ‘into it’ that day. It is easy to quit the workout on those days, and this is the difference between success and mediocrity. Success means you grind through it.

Last night was a very good example for me.

I had a ride scheduled. I was looking for about 20 miles to just get the body back into the routine that has been so disrupted over the last couple of weeks. Time got away from me with work and family stuff, so I was finally hitting the road at 5:30 instead of the 4:30 I had planned. I had to be back before 7:00, so time was of the essence. As I rolled out, I was already feeling the pressure of getting it done, and by the third hill in the first 2 miles, I wasn’t feeling it. It had to be get done though, so it was time to just grind it out.

In the end, I never really did get into the groove. Never could get a sustained, comfortable rhythm going. Just kept turning it over, and the result wasn’t a terrible ride, despite how it felt. 18.8 miles, 777 ft of elevation, at an average speed of 18 mph isn’t bad by my standards, but it never felt very good either.

It doesn’t really matter much though, because it got done. This morning I feel better for it. I guess a picture sums it up best.