HTFU and Ride!

There used to be a saying in the bike shop worked at; "Hush the F*** Up and Ride!"  It was always mentioned when someone we knew would come in talking about their bike wasn't fast enough or talking about wanting to make their bike lighter.  The best thing you can do is just ride your bike!

Well, today was one of those days I needed to just take my own advice.  I haven't been riding the road bike very often lately.  All my riding has been consolidated into commuting and what not.  Today, I decided I was long overdue for a good road ride out in the country.  The weather was great and I had some time to kill.  I geared up in my sleeveless jersey (Yeah, in November) and hit the road.  As I always do, I had my Garmin GPS bike computer on the bike.  About eight miles into the ride, I realized I was watching my computer more than I was watching what was going on around me.  I got trapped in over analyzing how fast I was going, what my cadence was, what my elevation accent was, what my heart rate was, etc.  So, for the first time, I just turned off the computer and rode my bike.  As soon as I did so, it was like Zeus was pedaling this rigid machine forward!  Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration but I felt as though I was riding harder and faster.  I felt good.  This simple action also allowed me to just enjoy the ride.  I was no longer caught up in analyzing all this data.  That made all the difference. 

I don't know how far I rode.  I'm not sure what my average speed was.  But I do know it was a kick ass ride and I wouldn't trade it for the world!  Next time you find yourself THINKING about riding more than you are actually riding, remember to Hush the F*** Up and Ride!!