Here was today's ride.

I got to the park, unloaded my bike, and jogged over to the bathroom to change my clothes. It was cold, way colder than what I had brought riding gear enough for. Nonetheless, I decided that once I began to sweat, I would be plenty warm.

Here is a side note: while changing, a woman in the bathroom on the other side of the building flushed the toilet, and the floor drain on my side let out a sonic explosion that scared the mess out of me.

I took my normal route up mountain creek trail, and headed out towards the Hincapie challenge. This climb was particularly miserable today with no gear shifting possibilities. It is weird how your mind fights with itself, and I started making excuses why I might need to stop for a moment...is my seat set too low?... is my shoe coming untied?... do I need to stop and check the crank arm that fell off last week?

As I told myself to keep going and not quit, I spit over my left shoulder, and suddenly found myself off the road and in the ditch on the right side of the road. This was stupid mistake. Why would anyone be so idiotic to lose control of their bike while spitting? Now, I had ridden into the ditch, and because of my pep talk with myself earlier I refused to quit. This meant I rode up the hill in the ditch for about 15-20 feet before I could get back on the road again. What a momentum killer!

Now some of you might be saying: "So what, it was only 15 feet, what is the big deal?" The deal is, this Hincapie Challenge is a horrible hill. It is like riding up the trunk of a redwood tree. So, 15-20 ft is a huge deal!

Fortunately I made it home with no broken bones or bike components... it was a great ride.

Moral of the story: Keep your eyes on the road. It is a painful return when you get off track.

What ways are you getting distracted from the goal you have before you?