The merciless sting of pride

I never thought that taking a year off the bike would result in the huffing and puffing that happened on the bike earlier this week. Here I was anxious to hit the trail and feel the burn but I was NOT prepared for what I discovered out there. My legs ached with each turn of the pedals as I slowly made my way up the rocky inclines. Luckily, I was going slowly enough that my lungs were able to keep pace with my legs and the will to climb was there but my quads just didn't have the juice to answer. My handling skills were still on par and descending was fun but it was evident that the lactic acid was accumulating in my legs which made the climbs that followed that more difficult. More than anything, I felt the sting of my pride. It wasn't that long ago when I was racing and dominating my class. I could train for hours and ride hard for long distances. A recreational spin was effortless. That's not the case now. It's just like starting over without all those nasty crashes. Hopefully getting in shape this time around will result in less blood shed and I will be able to keep the rubber side down.