My little story for the day that made me smile.
I was sitting in my truck reading my book, while enjoying my turkey sandwich and carrot sticks (healthy lunch!) when a young man on a bike walked up to my window. At first he scared the crap out of me, it is a really good book and I was completely enveloped in the story. I rolled down the window and he said hi.
"I need a favor, please? Can you give me a ride to the LBS down the street?"
Me first reaction was NO. Not just no but hell no. I have a hard time trusting a lot of people.
"I have a flat tire and I broke my tire tool trying to change it. I will ride in the bike of the truck if you are willing to take me down there."
I am sure that my bike being in the back of the truck was a dead give away that I was a cyclist. I have a feeling that if it hadn't been back there he would have never asked. What the hell, why not. There is a new bike shop down the street in Winter Park, it was on my way back to work and it was really hot outside. NOW if I had been really polite I probably would have just gotten a tube and my tools out and changed in the parking lot but since I was going back to work anyway I gave the man a ride.
He was very nice and was happy that he was going to make it to work ontime. So I have earned my merit badge today. I guess just because we don't ride the same kinds of bikes, and as much as we complain about how each of us rides we are still cyclists. AND I found a new bike shop out of the deal. It is a good day.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Pain and a scary ride
This week has been painful for me on my bike. I even tried a shorter stem on my bike but I think that it is too short. Going to have to give Coach Houle from D2 Cycling a shout to see if he can help. I have a sharp searing pain in the my shoulders. Both sides and it is really bothering me even off the bike and days later.
I had a couple of great rides this last week and one very scary one. Wednesday was my normal St. John's Cycle ride, 22 miles of really good riding. Had a great time. Feeling stronger and faster each and every week. THis is a good thing. Saturday I did solo 21 miles leaving from the house. I just didn't have to desire to drive 30 minutes to Lake Mary that morning. I left the house at 7:45 and was back just after 9. I felt strong and happy. Averaged 16.5 miles solo. The experts say that in a pace line that would be more like 18+. Hell yeah. I was happy.
Now on to my scary ride. Since I live on the East side of town, I decided to check a LBS (local bike shop) ride. They have just started this ride. It a new "thing" for them. I was nervous to say the least. My first clue that this was going to an "interesting ride" was when we rolled out of the parking lot and 5 of the 25 riders didn't have helmets on! But once we got on the road my nerves turned to fear. Running red lights, no communication, no pace line, you name it. Just a mass of riders riding on the road together. I should have turned around and gone back alone. I talked myself out of it several times honestly. I stayed was in the back and just stayed ever vigilant of my surroundings. The beginning of the ride started off on the trail which for any road cyclists this is just scary unless you are alone. A big group of cyclists on a very busy trail with other cyclists, runners, families.... it just isn't safe. ESPECIALLY when no one is calling out ANYTHING. wow
We finally made it on the road. Things calmed down a little. I got in the back of the pace line and just spun. We were hauling ass! It was somewhat of a relief to be on the road in a single file line getting some speed on my tires but that was short lived. We started dropping people. Riders that had never been on the road before. Riders that weren't on road bikes. The group of 25 people split into 4 groups! I was shocked. Because I had been riding in the back of the paceline (trying not to DIE) I ended up in the last group. We didn't go over 17 / 17.5 on the way back to the trail. Once we hit the trail the speed dropped to 15. By this time people it was dark outside. Pitch black, on a trail, in a group of 7 trying to get back to the shop. I was so done mentally by this point.
I am an equal opportunity cyclists and I love to support my local bike shops but I just don't think that I can do this ride again. I was more mentally exhausted after that ride than I was physically. I rode with such tension in my body.
I can say on a positive note that I met some very nice people on the ride. It was nice to meet the owners and chat with them. I wouldn't mind riding with them personally again.
I had a couple of great rides this last week and one very scary one. Wednesday was my normal St. John's Cycle ride, 22 miles of really good riding. Had a great time. Feeling stronger and faster each and every week. THis is a good thing. Saturday I did solo 21 miles leaving from the house. I just didn't have to desire to drive 30 minutes to Lake Mary that morning. I left the house at 7:45 and was back just after 9. I felt strong and happy. Averaged 16.5 miles solo. The experts say that in a pace line that would be more like 18+. Hell yeah. I was happy.
Now on to my scary ride. Since I live on the East side of town, I decided to check a LBS (local bike shop) ride. They have just started this ride. It a new "thing" for them. I was nervous to say the least. My first clue that this was going to an "interesting ride" was when we rolled out of the parking lot and 5 of the 25 riders didn't have helmets on! But once we got on the road my nerves turned to fear. Running red lights, no communication, no pace line, you name it. Just a mass of riders riding on the road together. I should have turned around and gone back alone. I talked myself out of it several times honestly. I stayed was in the back and just stayed ever vigilant of my surroundings. The beginning of the ride started off on the trail which for any road cyclists this is just scary unless you are alone. A big group of cyclists on a very busy trail with other cyclists, runners, families.... it just isn't safe. ESPECIALLY when no one is calling out ANYTHING. wow
We finally made it on the road. Things calmed down a little. I got in the back of the pace line and just spun. We were hauling ass! It was somewhat of a relief to be on the road in a single file line getting some speed on my tires but that was short lived. We started dropping people. Riders that had never been on the road before. Riders that weren't on road bikes. The group of 25 people split into 4 groups! I was shocked. Because I had been riding in the back of the paceline (trying not to DIE) I ended up in the last group. We didn't go over 17 / 17.5 on the way back to the trail. Once we hit the trail the speed dropped to 15. By this time people it was dark outside. Pitch black, on a trail, in a group of 7 trying to get back to the shop. I was so done mentally by this point.
I am an equal opportunity cyclists and I love to support my local bike shops but I just don't think that I can do this ride again. I was more mentally exhausted after that ride than I was physically. I rode with such tension in my body.
I can say on a positive note that I met some very nice people on the ride. It was nice to meet the owners and chat with them. I wouldn't mind riding with them personally again.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Nothing New
This has been a crazy week here for me. Work has been busy, the weather has been crazy but we are all healthy and happy. I didn't get much physical activity in this weekend because of it.
Wednesday I did have a really great ride with the St. John Cycle Shop WWW ride. It was a lot of fun. I felt strong and happy. A lot better than I did on Saturday. I made sure to drink lots of water and ate food. Imagine that! Proudly I sat out front and pulled the group a few times. This ride me regain my confidence. I am looking forward to Saturday now. Maybe even a Sunday ride! Uh oh I am getting crazy!
Wednesday I did have a really great ride with the St. John Cycle Shop WWW ride. It was a lot of fun. I felt strong and happy. A lot better than I did on Saturday. I made sure to drink lots of water and ate food. Imagine that! Proudly I sat out front and pulled the group a few times. This ride me regain my confidence. I am looking forward to Saturday now. Maybe even a Sunday ride! Uh oh I am getting crazy!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
BONK
I felt it. I knew it was coming. It was awful. If you have ever been in the middle of any physical activity and felt all the energy leave your body? Felt like your limbs weighed 500 pounds a piece? Suddenly felt light headed, dizzy and tired? That is how I felt on Saturday morning in the middle of my bike ride. It was awful.
I was having a great ride. Feeling confident, happy and ready to ride 34 miles. That all changed at mile 11. All the symptoms mentioned above happened. I lost it. I was dropped from the group of 40+ riders and was having a really hard time keeping a 13 mph pace alone, in a dead calm wind on a back road. My pedals didn't want to work. I was done, toast.
I made the decision to go back alone to the parking lot. I knew that I had an 11 mile trip back by myself but what else was I going to do. There was another group of cyclists coming but I was afraid that I was not going to be able to keep a decent enough pace to stay with them. Meaning I would have been even further from the truck riding back alone on much busier roads. So cycling alone was my only option. I stopped at the stop sign at Lake Mary Blvd. drank my entire bottle of Heed, texted hubby to let him know that I was going it alone and I started out. The start off from the sign was tough. I was overheated, dehydrated and tired. Mostly I was upset and frustrated. But that feeling began to change. Much to my delight about half a mile down the road my legs came back. I was able to keep a 18mph pace alone and was feeling all the energy that I had previously had before the epic bonk. I made really great time back to the truck. I was proud of the effort that I put forth but upset at the same time for not doing that earlier.
After having time to think and ponder what happened I think that I have (self) diagnosed the problem.
1. 4 hours of sleep the night before. Never a good thing for me when I am going to ride. I need my zzzzzzzs.
2. Not enough nurtrition. I had a bagel thin and sip of coffee while on my way to the ride. Surely not enough fuel for my body.
3. Water, or lack there of. I realized that I had NO water that morning before my ride and I had only drank about a quarter of the water in my bottles by mile 11. The now famous mile 11 that I bonked on.
If I have just followed my own darn rules I am sure that I would have never had the problem that I had on Saturday morning. What was I thinking?! I will never do that again.
I was having a great ride. Feeling confident, happy and ready to ride 34 miles. That all changed at mile 11. All the symptoms mentioned above happened. I lost it. I was dropped from the group of 40+ riders and was having a really hard time keeping a 13 mph pace alone, in a dead calm wind on a back road. My pedals didn't want to work. I was done, toast.
I made the decision to go back alone to the parking lot. I knew that I had an 11 mile trip back by myself but what else was I going to do. There was another group of cyclists coming but I was afraid that I was not going to be able to keep a decent enough pace to stay with them. Meaning I would have been even further from the truck riding back alone on much busier roads. So cycling alone was my only option. I stopped at the stop sign at Lake Mary Blvd. drank my entire bottle of Heed, texted hubby to let him know that I was going it alone and I started out. The start off from the sign was tough. I was overheated, dehydrated and tired. Mostly I was upset and frustrated. But that feeling began to change. Much to my delight about half a mile down the road my legs came back. I was able to keep a 18mph pace alone and was feeling all the energy that I had previously had before the epic bonk. I made really great time back to the truck. I was proud of the effort that I put forth but upset at the same time for not doing that earlier.
After having time to think and ponder what happened I think that I have (self) diagnosed the problem.
1. 4 hours of sleep the night before. Never a good thing for me when I am going to ride. I need my zzzzzzzs.
2. Not enough nurtrition. I had a bagel thin and sip of coffee while on my way to the ride. Surely not enough fuel for my body.
3. Water, or lack there of. I realized that I had NO water that morning before my ride and I had only drank about a quarter of the water in my bottles by mile 11. The now famous mile 11 that I bonked on.
If I have just followed my own darn rules I am sure that I would have never had the problem that I had on Saturday morning. What was I thinking?! I will never do that again.
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