Back in the saddle!
First day of training after nearly a year off the bike (minus a handful of rides), was surprisingly not as painful as I expected.
I took the same hilly route I've ridden pre-TransAm and I didn't have nearly as tough a time, a BIG sigh of relief there. The biggest change I see is how I talk to myself when it's hard. I bullied myself a lot the first time around (spoiler it did not work) however when I started my tour last year I switched it up and adopted an almost Disney-level positivity to keep myself pedaling. It stuck and I found myself being much kinder to myself on this ride.
Being kind left me feeling less anxious, less critical, and more energized. I also decided to measure my progress in time in the saddle vs miles traveled.
Eventually, I'll focus on mileage but for now, I'll just enjoy the ride.
2025 I'm going to be biking @adventurecycling's Atlantic Coast Route, Northern Tier, Pacific Coast Route, and Southern Tier consecutively. Wish me luck!
