Originally Posted by Don in Austin

It would probably be good for me to slow down from time to time. Yet, I am emotionally incapable of it. Rode 10 miles to the gym, trainer kicked my ass pretty good and I went to ride 10 miles leisurely to the shop. Met a dude at a stoplight who complimented me on my custom bike with e-bay frame and we started chatting. He has a personal training business and looked to be about 35-40 years younger than me. Couldn't help it, after a while I had to push the pace and eventually ride away from him even as I was trying not to.

Tomorrow I go on a group ride. There are a lot of nice mid-30s triathalon ladies on these rides. They tend to be very fit, but not hard core cyclists, they cruise pretty good but don't like hills. Every time I go on this ride I say I am going to relax and hang out with them. Instead, when we have a rest stop, I inevitably get antsy and take off all by myself several minutes before the group, trying to see if I can haul ass enough to keep the group from catching me before the next rest stop or the end of the ride.

Occasionally we have somebody slower on one of the rides I organize, or a even "walker" when we encounter a steep or long hill. That's about the only time I go less than 105%. Not that my 105% is anywhere close to some riders' 60%. I am not boasting, I would like to change this. I have read its not the best training to go flat out all the time.

Is there a support group out there?

Don in Austin