the long ride

Yesterday I went out and rode three hours plus in hot dry windy conditions. The last hour was pretty much misery. It wasn't that hard a course, but it has been two months since I've done any kind of endurance riding so it was very difficult. I knew that there was just one can of Heineken in the refrigerator and it was all I could think about for the last mile or two. I was pretty much wiped out the rest of the day. For the six to eight months of the year when I'm in decent shape this would not have been a very difficult day. We rode slowly and chatted, but the weeks immediately after harvest are tough as I try to convince my body one more time that it's worth the effort to reclaim fitness. There are so many less painful things to do with the day such as playing music or reading a book.