7:04 — the average pace on the Wicklow climb this morning, one minute eleven seconds slower than last Sunday. I had the numbers before I had an explanation.
Sunday long ride. Route: Rathfarnham out to Sally Gap and back. Distance: 74 km. Moving time: 3h 09. Elevation: 1,140 m. Perceived effort: 7/10. Average HR: 152 bpm. Sleep last night: 6.2 hours.
The legs were flat from the first pedal stroke out of the city. Not painful, just absent — that particular kind of tired where the power simply isn't there and pushing harder doesn't summon it. I noticed it most on the lower slopes of the Gap, where I usually find a rhythm. Today I dropped to the small chainring around the first bend and stayed there all the way up. No drama in that. It was the correct gear. The descent was fine. The wind had come round to the southwest by the time I turned for home, which helped.