Slow as molasses in January. That\’s how I often feel during my Sunday long rides, be it January or July.

Today I averaged below 12 mph on a ride of 29.1 miles. My pace development seems to be going nowhere. Why?

Maybe I\’m still not back in shape after nearly a month of no road bike? It\’s just over two weeks since I got the road bike back; and maybe I need more time to get back into condition.

Perhaps I need to spend more time pushing the pace during my weekday morning rides. They do say, if you want to get faster, you have to ride fast. An early morning ride when it\’s foggy (as it was today), however, is a poor time for speed work.

There are too many people out there, on bikes or not, who don\’t have lights; and who are wearing dark clothing, etc. Even when there\’s no fog, visibility in the dark can be a problem; and I have to be cautious.

Today\’s poor pace wasn\’t due to under-fueling. My ride data shows that I burned 797 calories; and I took in 680 calories during the ride. That\’s a deficit of 117 calories, and I don\’t call that excessive!

The wind was 8-9 mph; and a headwind on the way back home, as usual. When I\’ve got a headwind it helps to ride in the drops; and I think I need to practice it more. Riding \”dropped\” isn\’t difficult; but the position takes some getting used to.

It wasn\’t cold today; in fact, it\’s warm for January. The temperature at 8 am was in the low 60s. Maybe that explains the fog!

Maybe the biggest reason that I\’m staying slow as molasses is: I\’m too afraid of pushing too hard. In other words, I\’m lazy!