Eventually you get old and realize you can't pull a 53-11 when getting hung out the front of a group of riders for what seems like an eternity. They love to watch you try though.

Lately I've gone more for the 5 hour ride, spin up to some degree and limit the power supply on all but the steepest climbs. I leave happy to get a 5 hour ride in (after my 2 cups of coffee, and reading of the sports section whilst warming the porcelain), and get home happy to have put in a 5 hour ride in. Nobody cares but me. Speed is not considered or cared about. The miles covered depends on more obvious factors like terrain and headwinds. Focusing on a statistic like speed would just be a frustration factor, the likes of which I ride to forget about.