MinnMan

Does it ever happen during a ride that you think, "I'm tired, I should slow down.", but you don't slow down, you keep on churning. And several times later in the ride you think, "I'm tired, I should slow down", but again you don't?

Afterwards, it's a great feeling, but during the ride, it's a little crazy. I didn't have any particular goals tonight. It wouldn't have been such a bad thing to ease off. But somehow I couldn't.

Nermal

Not really, but I've often gone out when I really didn't feel like. Most of the time, I changed my mind after I got going.

qcpmsame 

Same here MinnMan, it happens to me sometimes, usually about 10 minutes in and I seem to just ride through the feeling, even though I want to slow up. No explanation for this, I guess it is much the same as when I ran a lot and had to get through the initial winded feeling and catch my second wind as my old high school X-country coach would say.

Bill

eja_ bottecchia

This!

bruce19

If I'm on a ride and start to feel tired I eat and drink and, if necessary, gear down and spin a bit more. "Churning" is never a good thing for me.

One of the more valuable things I've learned is what the physical signs mean. So, now when I start to feel weak and slow I know it's about food and drink.

Dudelsack 

There is a difference between "I don't have it today, I'm phoning it in" and "I feel bad for the first third of the ride but now that I'm warmed up it feels great". I'm always amazed how often the first morphs into the second.

Garfield Cat

Depends which group you're with. Solo riding is different, completely different.

Try saying that in a group ride. You won't unless you're in group A and should be in group B.

MinnMan

This is something that happens solo. On a group ride, the dynamics are entirely different. On a solo ride, the pace is determined by my energy, strength, and motivation. Or not. Sometimes the will to go fast comes from a place I don't understand - I don't have either the energy or the motivation, but somehow I'm compelled to hammer anyway.

It's not about nutrition or warming up or any of those things. As was the case yesterday, it may happen say 20 miles into a 30 mile ride. i've been hammering, just because, and I'm thinking that maybe I should slow down because it's getting harder to keep up the pace and there's no reason to push so hard, but I push anyway.

Terex

Um, nope. My brain doesn't work like that. Has always seemed to work well optimizing training/recovery and avoidance of injury. Mostly.

buykguy

Sometimes our legs seem to have minds of their own. Those are the days you actually experience breakthroughs in your training. Keep hammering, eventually the mind will follow!!

Dudelsack 

So you're saying that sometimes you inflict needless pain and suffering on yourself for no discernible reason?

I thought that's what cycling was about.

MinnMan

That's a fair point.