I lament often about not being very fast, but maybe it’s the question that’s not correct; instead of comparing speed to someone else or even myself, the question might be better phrased like this:

How fast is fast enough for me?

I’ve never been speedy. As a big kid, on foot I was always among the last in a race; playing sports I gravitated toward positions (like power forward in basketball) where speed wasn’t at a premium. On the bike, though, speed is almost everything–even when climbing up hills, requiring power, the end result is measured in speed. Only endurance is measured independently, but riding 100 miles in 7 hours isn’t nearly as impressive as riding 50 in 3–even if the rider doing the 50 couldn’t have pedaled to mile 51.

I guess if I had to choose, I’d still take endurance over speed, but I’m biased–it’s what I do well. Still, being a little faster wouldn’t hurt, but that’s not likely to be something I can gain without–more pain.

This will be continued…