Realignment needed... again

Back to being focused on the journey and letting the outcome happen. Strike that being focused, ENJOYING the journey. 

It is very easy to get wrapped up in the frustration of not being able to do what you want. Damned ego. 

Realignment tends to happen more than I'd like to admit. But right now I'm grateful for where I am. No, not able to ride/train the way I think I should, but got on a bike yesterday and today and just decided to ride. Being off the bike tends to take away the fitness quickly for me.

I poached a ride from a friend (with their permission) and rode gravel yesterday on my CX bike. Flatted early and decided to wrap it up early. Today I went back and rode that ride and made it 18 miles. Took my Scalpel instead. Something about tubeless tires with Stans made me more confident I wouldn't flat, though that possibility is always present especially when gravel is concerned. 

What a beautiful ride it was. I did an out and back. When I gain more fitness I'll do a longer loop. I walked the big climbs. Remembered my inhaler, which I didn't need. Yesterday I forgot it and had an attack about mile 2. Not sure why.

Quite a bit of this ride is shaded. A real plus on a hot day. 

This picture doesn't do the hill justice. It's 7% over 8/10 of a mile. The first (and last) climb of this ride was 9%  over 6/10 of mile. shew-wie. A few places on each are exposed and got quite warm due to the effort and the warm and humid day.

The Ohio river is just to your left on the way out and on your right on the return. It's full of mud and debris after all this rain we've had for weeks. It was moving very swiftly. I took a video but you can't tell so I'll not bore you with it.

There is a large bend in the river, called Horseshoe Bend. I thought I captured it, but I did not. 
This as I approached my starting point. Always nice to have a history lesson.

And no summer trip to parts west of New Albany, IN are as sweet without a stop at Polly's Freeze! Today was Mango Sherbet. YUMMY for my tummy and a few moments of brain freeze as well.

So, this 4th of July weekend has been so very nice. Slept in a couple of days, ran some errands, rode my bike, cooked some desserts for friends and got to see both of my daughters and Mom!

The journey has been good. The destination kept changing. And That Is Okay.

I surely hope everyone had a nice weekend as well. The sun shone today which was so good!

peace and respect