Flogging oneself, a 'cat of 9' tale

My friend Jen has been an athlete for years, running many half marathons, she was a ski bum, has a fine arts degree in dance and the list goes on. So when she said to me that she can't run like she used too, even 5 years ago, I started to draw a correlation between her current understanding of the sport she loves and my re-found passion for cycling.
  Definition of beginning: to start at the beginning or to do the first part.
That's how I feel.Oh I still have a handle on the flow of the ride and I am aware of the stroke and my cockpit position but I have to start over,  I'm at the beginning...again.. Stating this to Jen she has given me a copy of an article  by Jeff Matlow about being a 'Type A' personality and you can find it at, http://www.latriclub.com/resources/article_detail.php?id=1603 . It's a good read and anyone who has this personality disorder, or doesn't think it's a disorder, should take a second to ingest it. The point is I think I'm a "b" type because I'm laid back but really I'm an "a" type because of my drive to excel. You get the picture or you will once you read the article.
Last week was the first full week with my Trek, my first week. I logged 64 miles which included a 20 miler and a 30 miler my first week, my first week. I have not been on a bike...well you've read how long  it's been previously so I'll skip the digression and return to the regularly scheduled program.
Every day I go to work on the same street, back and forth back and forth,  lately with one thing in mind, a good time trial road of course...what were you thinking?  So I spotted this 8.3 mile round trip stretch of  Livingston Road between Immokalee Rd and Bonita Beach Rd that is flat, which  there is lots of  in SW Florida, has good straits, a few bends to make it interesting  and all without stop lights. Perfect! I arrived last Wednesday after work, suited up, got the bike out of the back of the Suburban and away I went.
Within the first two miles I noticed I was breathing very heavy, my cadence had dropped , I had downshifted a gear and started to pull the whip out to start the flogging. I was on my  first  time trail workout in 22 years and I was already going to beat myself  for not matching up to the old ideals of how I remembered 'my glory days' or should I say daze?!
Then I realized I needed to stop looking at how I used to perform in an idealized way and get with the business at hand of being the best I can make myself NOW! Don't get me wrong, I did not wuss out, I set a goal and have a game plan to attain it plain and simple. There is plenty of time for flogging myself later and there's nothing like a good self flogging after killing yourself in a hard work out (never mind that bit).
This is a great sport, one which I have the ridicules good fortune to return to,  so I'll put the time and effort in at the beginning  in order to have fun, go on a long ride every year with my family and maybe compete again, maybe.
I'll see you out there and remember if I pass you stop at Peets, because your buying.