There are people who measure rides by how many miles, or average speed, or watts .... i measure rides by how much I liked the ride. I am not as far from 70 as i'd like, but if i end up there, i hope I can still make a post like yours.
Heat can be a real killer too, particularly early in the season. Going shorter and easier is smart. I am trying to stay acclimatized as the heat builds so that I don't have that day (as I did last year) where I sprinted to try to beat a traffic light on my first really hot-weather ride, and then had to limp home because I was so overheated I felt I could hardly ride.