I started today’s ride already a little emotionally exhausted. We gathered the troops and were ready to make the 40 mile loop from Cibolo again. Pete was ready to play with his new power meter. Pete was leading the group and I was sweeping (that’s the nice way of giving me “a job” when I’m going to be the slow one taking up the rear anyway.) For the first three mile stretch, I pushed myself a bit and felt I held a solid 15 mph. However, the numbers from the Garmin show that once I made a turn (which Pete says was into the wind) I slowed to about 13 mph.
Sure enough, as we climb the hill on highway 465, I fall back. I pushed to keep up with the group, but was struggling a bit to catch my breath at times. I shifted up the big hill and as I got to the top, I could feel my breathing in my side. I decided that meant I needed to stop and have some Gu. I also took a moment to clear my nasal passages and catch my breath. Finally able to breathe again we headed out.
As we head out, Laura is confused at how we go 14 miles on this highway before the next turn. I think for a second, because I know we only go about seven miles, and suddenly realize she is reading the wrong column on the cue sheet. I point out that she is reading the “total distance traveled” column, not the distance on the current road column. The light bulb goes off! Now she realizes that the pie shop is 15 miles from the start of the ride on today’s scheduled route. She starts to grumble about the group’s plan to stop at the pie shop when it’s only 15 miles in on a 40 mile ride. I point out that she is not required to stop. It also occurs to me that being a slower rider, she can continue on and the fast-paced riders will catch up with her. I was a little snotty in how I told her she wasn’t required to stop and it got her to stop complaining about the route, map and cue sheet that Pete created for today’s ride.
I continue at my pace down the road and get to thinking over the exchange. I’m a little sorry that I was snotty, but I get frustrated at her constant chatter on the bike. I was interpreting her grumbling as an attack on Pete and got a little defensive. On top of that, it’s not like Pete has to make maps or cue sheets for the group. He could say “this is how we’re going” and then ride at my pace all day and the group would either venture on their own, or be forced to meander along with me.
As we crested the overpass of I-10, I saw two cyclists gaining on us. It took them awhile, but they finally caught me, drafted off of me and then slingshot around. They switched who was pulling who and then I watched them do the same passing trick with Laura. Bastards! If you're strong enough to go that fast, don't draft off of me and make me feel slower too! I had to stop at one point to catch my breath again. I was a bit surprised as this was a flat stretch, but I just got off the bike for a minute and then I was good again. Laura realized I'd fallen back and doubled back to find me. Just as I see her, she hangs a u-turn and continues on the route. I realize that she doubled-back because I was not in sight and she wanted to make sure I was okay and not leave me on my own. That was nice of her. Vicki, Pete and I know that we’ll meet at the pie shop though, and if I have an issue, I won’t be shy to grab the cell phone and holler. And if I can’t, and I don’t show up a the pie shop in a reasonable time, the phone calls will start, or the stronger riders will head out on a search and recovery mission.
We arrive at the pie shop just as the faster ones of our group are heading out. Laura begins grilling them about how far they’re going and which route their taking. Tom offers to wait five minutes for her and let her ride with them. She tells him not to wait on her and heads in to the shop. Then she asks how far we’re all riding today. Vicki tells her we haven’t talked about it yet, so we’re still undecided. At which point Laura disappears outside and we think she leaves to catch the faster group. We were all more focused on who got the restroom first and who was ordering what as we try hard to make anyone ordering grilled food to order first to save time.
Pete decided to hang back with us. As we're all getting on our bikes, Laura comes over and asks how far we’re riding. I tell her we decided on the 36 mile option. In response, she bursts with “well I have to ride with someone. I can’t ride alone, so I’d like to ride with ya’ll!” and jumps on her bike and takes off. I look at Vicki for help. She asks me what just happened. I shrug and tell her what was said. We’re all a bit surprised and stumped by it. I was feeling a bit out of my routine all morning and forgot to stretch before we left. I tried stretching a bit on the bike before the first incline and then noticed my glove was rubbing on my hand. I stopped to adjust my glove and move the tag. That was the last I saw of the group.
This has left me at the back of the pack by enough distance that I can’t see the next rider, so I’m truly on my first solo ride. I try to shrug off the emotional outburst, but I can’t. I know Laura and I haven’t had the best interactions today and part of that is the mood I came out with today. I don’t come out to ride for negative interactions though. I can get plenty of that at work and other circles! One of the things I like about biking is the positive interactions and supportive community. Where did all of this come from? Why haven’t I been able to shake my mood today? Why am I letting her get to me like this? How am I going to fix this so I haven’t damaged my positive cycling activity?
As I rode up the next hill (one where I dropped my chain once) I started to hear some popping as the chain shifted from one gear to the next. It was no longer a smooth shift. The wheels in my head started turning and I figured things out. Clearly, the sleek new Madone was not built to hold my weight and the shifting was the first sign of how I clearly could not cut it as a biker. I decided that even though I didn't have this trouble with the demo bike I rode in June, it was because the demo bike was a triple and I got a compact. That solved, I focused on trying to get through the ride as my emotions were a roller coaster.
My heart rate monitor was going off to it's own tune, and there is no way for me to turn it off. At one point, I was ready to chuck the thing into a field, but I knew the wasn't the solution and tried to just take a deep breath. However, I was still having trouble breathing. I try to keep pedaling, but I can’t. I am drained. I just want to sit on the ground and cry. I look at the time and realize it’s still pretty early in Seattle to call for an emotional pick-me-up. I know Trinity would be there for me, but the last thing I need right now is her freaking out that I’m crying on the side of some country road, on a bicycle, by myself, all the way in Texas.
In hindsight, maybe I should have called her for the emotional reality check. Instead, I stop under my climbing tree and try to gather my composure. Thankfully, I’m in the shade, but it still takes me awhile to stop myself from nearly hyper-ventilating, to clear my nasal passages adequately to continue riding, and to get back on the bike. That episode over, I decided to just take it slow and began contemplating route options to shorten my ride as I was clearly going to be way behind everyone else today.
Just then, Pete doubled-back to check on me. That’s two in one day! Clearly this is not a good ride for me. I keep pedaling without a word. I’m not ready to talk and am still focusing on maintaining my composure to get me down the road. Pete silently fell in behind me and paced me. I didn't mention my shifting problems because I didn't want to get into the lack of weight loss I've seen. We rode along and took our usual breaks as needed. My back was hurting and my shoulders were tight. I had borrowed Mom's new Camelbak and on one of our breaks we realized that it may be too big for my torso as the shoulder straps were up and off of my shoulders. I talked through my thoughts of shortening my route and he confirmed my suspicion of the best way to do so. We parted ways as he went for the distance and I headed for the truck. It was then that I realized this "shortcut" would actually cut all of the hills and rough road out of the route. Silver lining!
I made my way back to the truck slower than I should have, but it was what I needed for the day. I took more breaks than I normally would and managed to beat the group back by only ten minutes. They did ten miles more than I did. Laura was amazed to see I had beaten her back and Pete pulled in another five minutes after the group. It was a rough ride for me, but I manged to not impact the group and I'm glad for that. So much for the sleek new Madone. I think the week off has me needing to build back up a little bit. I think too many things changed after a week off of the bike (new bike, new saddle, and new Camelbak.) I think I should have stayed with the shiny, new, blue, road bike for a week and then upgraded to the sleek new Madone. But, too late for that, so tomorrow is another day.
The group, including Laura, all went for a pasta and pizza lunch. It was a nice sealing of the peace treaty without the strain and pressure. I suspect we both came to the ride with some emotional baggage today and found one another as our outlets. It sucks, but there it is, and hopefully it’s behind us. Lesson learned today is that I do not ride well under emotional stress.
When we got home tonight, my new pink Ride Like a Girl! water bottle cages arrived! Pete put my new water bottle cages on the bike for me after dinner. When he did so, he noticed that the rear derailleur was off slightly and made the necessary adjustment. He brought the bike in to show me the new pink cages on the sleek new Madone and asked me if I'd been having trouble shifting. I sheepishly admitted that I had and he pointed out the issue and assured me it was now fixed. This throws my thinking about today's issues all out of psynch, but it's good news that it was the bike and not me. Guess I forgot the simple thing about a new bike taking some time as the cables stretch.
Goals
Today's Miles: 30.1
Total Miles Achieved: 679.4
Financial Investment: $1947.13
Total Weight Loss: 0
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Back in the Saddle
For our first ride back from vacation, I'm on my sleek new Madone! Vicki arranged for us to meet at Specht Store and ride the Bullis Park route from there. Afterward, we would go in for a drink and some dinner. Jazmin wanted to ride a bike today, so she was allowed to borrow Mom's bike and come out to ride with us. We started out ahead of the group and I told her to stick behind me. At the turn to go up Leroy Scheel, we stopped and I did some rules of the road. This gave her an opportunity to see some of the hand signals, hear some of the announcements and realize the type of riding we do. She was ready for the ride, now.
All together, we headed up Leroy Scheel. This slow and gradual incline usually takes it's toll on me and today's heat made it no exception. We started out at 6:30 and it was still 100 degrees! At this point, Jazmin has gotten the hang of the "on your left" and is ready to pass me as we approach the stop. I tell her to stay behind me as we stop. She listened well and then I prepared her for the hills of Amman Road. The others went up Persimmon Hill. I would have like to try this on my new bike, but I didn't want to venture that with Jazmin as it would require us to be on highway 46 for a stretch. She and I went straight to the school up the hills on Amman Road. She slowed down quite a bit up those hills, but she made it!
After a brief break, we headed for the bakery. This stretch twists and turns a lot, but is a gradual downhill where it isn't flat, so it's usually a quick stretch. I watch in my mirror and Jazmin is not going as fast as I had expected. I slow down as I don't want her out of my sight on a twisty road with some traffic. We make it to the bakery and rest on the bench. Here she pulls the grapes out of her Camelbak and promptly finishes all of the water in her Camelbak. I shrug and tell her that's all there is. The group catches up to us and we all roll out together.
Most of the group pulls ahead pretty quick. I realized Jazmin was in the small ring, so I told her to shift with her left hand. She did and we found a comfortable pace of 10 mph as the two guys behind us decided to pass us. They had not announced themselves as they passed me, so as they came upon her I said, "Jazmin, bikes on your left!" They got the hint and the second guy talked to her as he passed. He said, "Your doing well...." and then as he pulled away, "for an amateur." This motivated her and she took off chasing his shadow.
She bumped it up to 12 mph and we held that almost consistently all the way in. We enjoyed dinner where Jazmin ate more salsa than I ever could, had three glasses of water and tried one of Laura's chicken livers. On the ride home, Jazmin couldn't believe that the eight mile ride was an "easy" ride for me. She enjoyed the ride and Vicki even invited her to come back again next week. We'll see...
I enjoyed the ride and was glad for a slow start back. I don't really feel that I got a feel for my new bike, but I'll get there. Tonight was more of a social ride and it was fun!
Goals
Today's Miles: 8.1
Total Miles Achieved: 649.3
Financial Investment: $1870.63
Total Weight Loss: 0
All together, we headed up Leroy Scheel. This slow and gradual incline usually takes it's toll on me and today's heat made it no exception. We started out at 6:30 and it was still 100 degrees! At this point, Jazmin has gotten the hang of the "on your left" and is ready to pass me as we approach the stop. I tell her to stay behind me as we stop. She listened well and then I prepared her for the hills of Amman Road. The others went up Persimmon Hill. I would have like to try this on my new bike, but I didn't want to venture that with Jazmin as it would require us to be on highway 46 for a stretch. She and I went straight to the school up the hills on Amman Road. She slowed down quite a bit up those hills, but she made it!
After a brief break, we headed for the bakery. This stretch twists and turns a lot, but is a gradual downhill where it isn't flat, so it's usually a quick stretch. I watch in my mirror and Jazmin is not going as fast as I had expected. I slow down as I don't want her out of my sight on a twisty road with some traffic. We make it to the bakery and rest on the bench. Here she pulls the grapes out of her Camelbak and promptly finishes all of the water in her Camelbak. I shrug and tell her that's all there is. The group catches up to us and we all roll out together.
Most of the group pulls ahead pretty quick. I realized Jazmin was in the small ring, so I told her to shift with her left hand. She did and we found a comfortable pace of 10 mph as the two guys behind us decided to pass us. They had not announced themselves as they passed me, so as they came upon her I said, "Jazmin, bikes on your left!" They got the hint and the second guy talked to her as he passed. He said, "Your doing well...." and then as he pulled away, "for an amateur." This motivated her and she took off chasing his shadow.
She bumped it up to 12 mph and we held that almost consistently all the way in. We enjoyed dinner where Jazmin ate more salsa than I ever could, had three glasses of water and tried one of Laura's chicken livers. On the ride home, Jazmin couldn't believe that the eight mile ride was an "easy" ride for me. She enjoyed the ride and Vicki even invited her to come back again next week. We'll see...
I enjoyed the ride and was glad for a slow start back. I don't really feel that I got a feel for my new bike, but I'll get there. Tonight was more of a social ride and it was fun!
Goals
Today's Miles: 8.1
Total Miles Achieved: 649.3
Financial Investment: $1870.63
Total Weight Loss: 0
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
New Madone Arrives!
While we were out sailing Tom called to let us know that my sleek new Madone bike had arrived. We were shocked as it wasn't expected to ship until August 16th, but it had arrived by August 9th! Not much we could do until we got back from our vacation anyway.
I had decided I needed a different saddle on the shiny, new, blue bike, so now I had to have the new saddle moved to the new Madone. Pete and I went down to Bike World tonight to pick up our bikes that had gone in for their tune ups as well as my sleek new Madone. The shiny, new, blue bike looked great! The handlebars were fixed and Pete had selected a nice blue tape to replace the already dirty white tape.
Tom put my sleek new Madone up on the trainer and adjusted the saddle. I climbed up and he had perfectly adjusted the seat. My bike was ready to go. So was I, but there just wasn't enough time in the day today between work, picking up the bikes and sunset to ride, not to mention that thing they call dinner.
The bike looks sharp! I'm excited about the better derailleur and shifting, plus the smoother ride. This bike is an investment in my and my weight loss, so the price of this bike is not being counted in my financial investment for the Bike to the Beach event. Can't wait to get this sleek new Madone on the road and see what I can do now!
New purchases:
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1870.63
Total Weight Loss: 0
I had decided I needed a different saddle on the shiny, new, blue bike, so now I had to have the new saddle moved to the new Madone. Pete and I went down to Bike World tonight to pick up our bikes that had gone in for their tune ups as well as my sleek new Madone. The shiny, new, blue bike looked great! The handlebars were fixed and Pete had selected a nice blue tape to replace the already dirty white tape.
Tom put my sleek new Madone up on the trainer and adjusted the saddle. I climbed up and he had perfectly adjusted the seat. My bike was ready to go. So was I, but there just wasn't enough time in the day today between work, picking up the bikes and sunset to ride, not to mention that thing they call dinner.
The bike looks sharp! I'm excited about the better derailleur and shifting, plus the smoother ride. This bike is an investment in my and my weight loss, so the price of this bike is not being counted in my financial investment for the Bike to the Beach event. Can't wait to get this sleek new Madone on the road and see what I can do now!
New purchases:
- Terry Butterfly saddle $54
- Blue tape and wrapping $25.49
- Pink Camelbak water bottle $9
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1870.63
Total Weight Loss: 0
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday Weigh-In
After all of the hill climbing this weekend, I was dreading the weigh-in this morning. Sure enough, I built some muscle and now I'm back to my original weight. Ugh! I know this is to be expected, but at some point one should lose something. Right? At any rate, at least my legs are sore and I know that I really did make some improvements this week.
We're off to Pennsylvania and Maryland for a week for family vacation and sailing. That means no riding, fresh seafood, and desserts are allowed. We'll see how things go when we return. The bikes are going in for maintenance while we're gone, so it'll be a fresh start after a week of sailing.
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: 0
We're off to Pennsylvania and Maryland for a week for family vacation and sailing. That means no riding, fresh seafood, and desserts are allowed. We'll see how things go when we return. The bikes are going in for maintenance while we're gone, so it'll be a fresh start after a week of sailing.
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: 0
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Beat Up by the Hills
Today's ride was a shocker! We had a mixed group of newbies, intermediate and hammerhead bikers. Our route options were 21, 37, 46 and 60 something. Based on yesterday's performance, I was planning on the 37, but ready to take the 21 if necessary. Tony wanted to do the 42 mile route (which was actually 46) and everyone was sticking to Tony. I decided I would go as far as I was comfortable and stop and wait for Pete to return with the truck, if necessary. Besides, it'd be some new scenery from the bike. I kept up with the group up Leroy Scheel and felt good all the way up Persimmon Hill.
At Spring Branch Rd, everyone turned left and so did I. Apparently this is where Pete thought I was nuts, but said nothing. I started to wonder myself part way in, but decided if Bob (from Holt Cat) at the age of 55 and 20 pounds heavier than me could do it, so could I. I was surprised that my hip didn't hurt and the group waited for me and Bob in some shade part way in. As we rode past the neighborhood of our property I slowed down over the low water crossing. I knew it was a bit of a blind hill, but didn't remember how blind, or how much up you went after the crossing. I fell off the group here and just kept on going. As I went through downtown Spring Branch where the speed limit is 20mph, I saw a cop car going the other way. Perfect! The group waited for me at the next intersection and as I pulled up I announced, "Sorry, there was a cop, so I had to slow down in the speed limit zone." For those listening it was a perfect line and I got a couple of high fives. Then we were off again.
It wasn't until we made a left turn across highway 281 and turned onto 311 that I wondered what I was thinking. The hills were never ending, the road surface was a challenge, and the sun was getting hotter! I learned how to get angry at hills and just get to the top. Lloyd hung behind me for a bit and was good at knowing when to chat, and when to cheer and when to just silently pedal. He pointed out I was coasting at one point, and I knew I needed a break. I told him that my coasting wasn't good, I was probably getting tired. He went ahead to check on Bob and I found some shade for a quick stretch.
Further ahead, I caught up to Bob and Pete having a shade break and I was ready for another myself. Within a very brief distance, I finally said I had no energy to continue climbing these hills, and push through the pain and sent Pete, Bob and Tony ahead with promises to make my way until Pete doubled back with the truck. Not too much further, the three guys stopped in some shade. Bob and Tony were out of water and getting tired. I caught up with them and we took a detour on 46 where we found a Valero within two miles. After resting in the cool air and getting fresh beverages, we all felt better, but then we headed out and had two more doozies of hills in just two miles before getting to 281.
It was there that I remembered a Starbucks in Bulverde. As we waited for the red light, I announced that I was stopping at Starbucks and Pete could pick me up there. Bob decided to join me, but Tony was determined to truck on. We enjoyed some cold drinks and I had a cup of fruit while we sat in the shade on their patio and enjoyed a faint breeze. An hour later, Bob and I were getting worried and Lloyd pulled up in one of the Bike MS Tundras. Apparently, Lloyd had finished and decided to double back on the route. When he found Tony and Pete, they sent Lloyd to us for the retrieval.
The hills really pushed us and slowed us down so much that the ride took a long time, so the sun got higher and the heat came out. I climbed a total of 1700 feet today (in 32 miles.) Day one of Bike to the Beach is 2700 feet of climbing (in 95 miles.) Despite all that, it was a neat ride and I'd sure enjoy it in cooler weather. It was just after 1:30 by the time we were all loaded in our own vehicles and leaving Bullis Park!
Goals
Today's Miles: 31.8
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
At Spring Branch Rd, everyone turned left and so did I. Apparently this is where Pete thought I was nuts, but said nothing. I started to wonder myself part way in, but decided if Bob (from Holt Cat) at the age of 55 and 20 pounds heavier than me could do it, so could I. I was surprised that my hip didn't hurt and the group waited for me and Bob in some shade part way in. As we rode past the neighborhood of our property I slowed down over the low water crossing. I knew it was a bit of a blind hill, but didn't remember how blind, or how much up you went after the crossing. I fell off the group here and just kept on going. As I went through downtown Spring Branch where the speed limit is 20mph, I saw a cop car going the other way. Perfect! The group waited for me at the next intersection and as I pulled up I announced, "Sorry, there was a cop, so I had to slow down in the speed limit zone." For those listening it was a perfect line and I got a couple of high fives. Then we were off again.
It wasn't until we made a left turn across highway 281 and turned onto 311 that I wondered what I was thinking. The hills were never ending, the road surface was a challenge, and the sun was getting hotter! I learned how to get angry at hills and just get to the top. Lloyd hung behind me for a bit and was good at knowing when to chat, and when to cheer and when to just silently pedal. He pointed out I was coasting at one point, and I knew I needed a break. I told him that my coasting wasn't good, I was probably getting tired. He went ahead to check on Bob and I found some shade for a quick stretch.
Further ahead, I caught up to Bob and Pete having a shade break and I was ready for another myself. Within a very brief distance, I finally said I had no energy to continue climbing these hills, and push through the pain and sent Pete, Bob and Tony ahead with promises to make my way until Pete doubled back with the truck. Not too much further, the three guys stopped in some shade. Bob and Tony were out of water and getting tired. I caught up with them and we took a detour on 46 where we found a Valero within two miles. After resting in the cool air and getting fresh beverages, we all felt better, but then we headed out and had two more doozies of hills in just two miles before getting to 281.
It was there that I remembered a Starbucks in Bulverde. As we waited for the red light, I announced that I was stopping at Starbucks and Pete could pick me up there. Bob decided to join me, but Tony was determined to truck on. We enjoyed some cold drinks and I had a cup of fruit while we sat in the shade on their patio and enjoyed a faint breeze. An hour later, Bob and I were getting worried and Lloyd pulled up in one of the Bike MS Tundras. Apparently, Lloyd had finished and decided to double back on the route. When he found Tony and Pete, they sent Lloyd to us for the retrieval.
The hills really pushed us and slowed us down so much that the ride took a long time, so the sun got higher and the heat came out. I climbed a total of 1700 feet today (in 32 miles.) Day one of Bike to the Beach is 2700 feet of climbing (in 95 miles.) Despite all that, it was a neat ride and I'd sure enjoy it in cooler weather. It was just after 1:30 by the time we were all loaded in our own vehicles and leaving Bullis Park!
Goals
Today's Miles: 31.8
Total Miles Achieved: 641.2
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Learning to Acknowledge Pain
We had our regular group of Saturday riders join us today. The route du jour is a new route on familiar roads. Pete spliced together the Woman Hollering Creek ride with the start of the Cibolo ride and came up with a 40ish mile route. I was looking forward to increasing my mileage this week and having a good weekend of riding.
I've been reading the Lance Armstrong book slowly, this week and learned a lot about how cyclists don't just train by riding. They also train themselves to ignore the pains of riding a bike so hard, so long, and so far. As I started to feel some pain today in my left hip, I told myself, "buck up and deal with the pain. Quit whining about the couple of hills. The first rest point isn't much further." A mile later, we make the final turn before the gas station where we take a break, and all I can think is "how much further?" So, I holler out to Pete and ask since I know he has the route mapped on his GPS. He tells me it's about another 3/4 of a mile. I make a sigh of relief as I look at the skyline for the sign along the highway. Thankfully, I see it in the distance and latch on to that bit of hope.
I decide to take it easy and just get there. About half a mile later, I reach to shift down a gear and find that I can't. I don't know if I was tired or my hand was in pain, but this was the point that broke me today. I realized how much pain I was in, I felt broken, and I just was not having any fun.
I pulled into the parking lot and spotted the group stopped along side a short wall. Good! I knew I needed to sit down and didn't know if I'd be able get back up if I just sat down on the ground. Now I could sit on the wall. I pulled in behind the group, but stayed back a bit to have some space for me to figure out what was going on. I stopped the bike, got off and sat on the edge of the wall. I quickly wiped my face of sweat, tears, and snot. I took some deep breaths and some sips of water as I tried to stretch out my legs and my aching hip. I saw Pete's legs come walking over and I confessed my pain. He offered to let me rest and go get the truck. I thought about it for a second and told him I thought I could make it back on my own, but I couldn't go any further out. After all, we've only gone 11.75 miles. If I go slow and stop when I need a rest or a stretch and just take my time, I can handle another 12 miles.
Erica quickly offers to ride back with me. I'm appreciative of the offer and that I don't have to ask. I know she'll ride as slow as I need to and won't complain if I make too many stops. Pete talks us through the quickest, flattest, and best surface route to get us back to the truck. I'm confident I know the way and so is Erica. We bid the others a safe ride as they head out. Erica asks me if I've had a Gu, and I realize I haven't addressed my energy level on this break. I have a quick Gu while she finishes her energy bar and then we head out.
I remember how much I dislike access road surfaces on a bike and am thankful Pete gave us a better route option so we're off this surface as quickly as possible. We cross I-10 and turn onto Partnership Road. This road is truly only a single lane road. The surface is questionable, but if you can avoid the bumps and holes, it's worth the scenery. You are truly riding through the middle of fields. The road twists and turns and you cannot see it's path through the fields until it's right in front of you. There seems to be a recent attempt to fill in some of the holes so we are dealing with some loose gravel on the road too.
Our directions were to turn right onto Santa Clara when Partnership comes to a T at Santa Clara. Partnership came to a T, there was no street sign, but I knew the direction was to turn right, so I did. We get to the overpass of I-10 and I know we're not on Santa Clara for two reasons. One, the overpass is a lower incline over the highway; and two, the speedway is not at the intersection of the overpass and I-10. I quickly read the signs and realize we are on highway 465. I figure we have two options, we can continue down the highway and make a left turn onto familiar Lower Seguin, or we can get on the access road along I-10 to Santa Clara and get back on track. Erica and I stop to discuss and we decide we can explore 465 and at least we know we have a good downhill and then know where to turn.
It's a great downhill with a smooth surface and we lucked out with no traffic approaching in either direction for the hill. I enjoy the downhill and reach a top speed of 31 mph. I begin watching for the left turn, but can't seem to find a road on the left. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a road. Again, no street sign and the stop sign that might have been a clue is set so far back on the side road that it was hidden from my view by a tree. We make the turn and enjoy the shade a bit. Suddenly, we discover a cemetery on our right that we've never seen before. We've ridden past here, but always in the opposite direction. The largest tombstone is large enough and clean enough that we can make out the name "Zuehl". That's the name of a road we also ride on. Interesting. There are a lot of mini cemeteries in this area. It might be fun to explore them, maybe even make a recreational bike "tour" together to see some of them up close one of these days.
Erica and I keep each other moving and stop in the shade when we feel like we (or I, to be honest) need it. For the first time ever, I get hungry on the ride, so we stop so I can eat part of a Clif bar. The heat is getting to me and it becomes a mental thing to finish the ride. I slow down a bit and am excited when we turn for the home stretch and have a tail wind. We arrive back at the truck and take our time unloading our gear. As we finish up, I look up and Pete and Tom come rolling in to the parking lot. I know we were slow, but wow! They made great time! Come to find out, they cut their route short and only did about 30 miles. The timing was perfect.
I hope I get all of my bad rides of the year out of my system before October. I'm glad that I'm able to admit to my riding buddies that I can't finish and need to turn back. I figure it's part of being humble enough to accept when you need a SAG wagon ride for the big event. I think it's also part of recognizing that you may not realize the extent of all of your injuries from a fall/crash. I truly feel the pain in my hip was courtesy of my Thursday crash. I'll be able to rest up and heal this week as we go sailing and can't ride. I was worried about the break, but I'm now ready for it and glad I had the crash before the trip and not after.
Goals
Today's Miles: 25.5
Total Miles Achieved: 609.4
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
I've been reading the Lance Armstrong book slowly, this week and learned a lot about how cyclists don't just train by riding. They also train themselves to ignore the pains of riding a bike so hard, so long, and so far. As I started to feel some pain today in my left hip, I told myself, "buck up and deal with the pain. Quit whining about the couple of hills. The first rest point isn't much further." A mile later, we make the final turn before the gas station where we take a break, and all I can think is "how much further?" So, I holler out to Pete and ask since I know he has the route mapped on his GPS. He tells me it's about another 3/4 of a mile. I make a sigh of relief as I look at the skyline for the sign along the highway. Thankfully, I see it in the distance and latch on to that bit of hope.
I decide to take it easy and just get there. About half a mile later, I reach to shift down a gear and find that I can't. I don't know if I was tired or my hand was in pain, but this was the point that broke me today. I realized how much pain I was in, I felt broken, and I just was not having any fun.
I pulled into the parking lot and spotted the group stopped along side a short wall. Good! I knew I needed to sit down and didn't know if I'd be able get back up if I just sat down on the ground. Now I could sit on the wall. I pulled in behind the group, but stayed back a bit to have some space for me to figure out what was going on. I stopped the bike, got off and sat on the edge of the wall. I quickly wiped my face of sweat, tears, and snot. I took some deep breaths and some sips of water as I tried to stretch out my legs and my aching hip. I saw Pete's legs come walking over and I confessed my pain. He offered to let me rest and go get the truck. I thought about it for a second and told him I thought I could make it back on my own, but I couldn't go any further out. After all, we've only gone 11.75 miles. If I go slow and stop when I need a rest or a stretch and just take my time, I can handle another 12 miles.
Erica quickly offers to ride back with me. I'm appreciative of the offer and that I don't have to ask. I know she'll ride as slow as I need to and won't complain if I make too many stops. Pete talks us through the quickest, flattest, and best surface route to get us back to the truck. I'm confident I know the way and so is Erica. We bid the others a safe ride as they head out. Erica asks me if I've had a Gu, and I realize I haven't addressed my energy level on this break. I have a quick Gu while she finishes her energy bar and then we head out.
I remember how much I dislike access road surfaces on a bike and am thankful Pete gave us a better route option so we're off this surface as quickly as possible. We cross I-10 and turn onto Partnership Road. This road is truly only a single lane road. The surface is questionable, but if you can avoid the bumps and holes, it's worth the scenery. You are truly riding through the middle of fields. The road twists and turns and you cannot see it's path through the fields until it's right in front of you. There seems to be a recent attempt to fill in some of the holes so we are dealing with some loose gravel on the road too.
Our directions were to turn right onto Santa Clara when Partnership comes to a T at Santa Clara. Partnership came to a T, there was no street sign, but I knew the direction was to turn right, so I did. We get to the overpass of I-10 and I know we're not on Santa Clara for two reasons. One, the overpass is a lower incline over the highway; and two, the speedway is not at the intersection of the overpass and I-10. I quickly read the signs and realize we are on highway 465. I figure we have two options, we can continue down the highway and make a left turn onto familiar Lower Seguin, or we can get on the access road along I-10 to Santa Clara and get back on track. Erica and I stop to discuss and we decide we can explore 465 and at least we know we have a good downhill and then know where to turn.
It's a great downhill with a smooth surface and we lucked out with no traffic approaching in either direction for the hill. I enjoy the downhill and reach a top speed of 31 mph. I begin watching for the left turn, but can't seem to find a road on the left. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a road. Again, no street sign and the stop sign that might have been a clue is set so far back on the side road that it was hidden from my view by a tree. We make the turn and enjoy the shade a bit. Suddenly, we discover a cemetery on our right that we've never seen before. We've ridden past here, but always in the opposite direction. The largest tombstone is large enough and clean enough that we can make out the name "Zuehl". That's the name of a road we also ride on. Interesting. There are a lot of mini cemeteries in this area. It might be fun to explore them, maybe even make a recreational bike "tour" together to see some of them up close one of these days.
Erica and I keep each other moving and stop in the shade when we feel like we (or I, to be honest) need it. For the first time ever, I get hungry on the ride, so we stop so I can eat part of a Clif bar. The heat is getting to me and it becomes a mental thing to finish the ride. I slow down a bit and am excited when we turn for the home stretch and have a tail wind. We arrive back at the truck and take our time unloading our gear. As we finish up, I look up and Pete and Tom come rolling in to the parking lot. I know we were slow, but wow! They made great time! Come to find out, they cut their route short and only did about 30 miles. The timing was perfect.
I hope I get all of my bad rides of the year out of my system before October. I'm glad that I'm able to admit to my riding buddies that I can't finish and need to turn back. I figure it's part of being humble enough to accept when you need a SAG wagon ride for the big event. I think it's also part of recognizing that you may not realize the extent of all of your injuries from a fall/crash. I truly feel the pain in my hip was courtesy of my Thursday crash. I'll be able to rest up and heal this week as we go sailing and can't ride. I was worried about the break, but I'm now ready for it and glad I had the crash before the trip and not after.
Goals
Today's Miles: 25.5
Total Miles Achieved: 609.4
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
Friday, August 1, 2008
Friday Weigh-In
This week I'm finally happy with some weigh-in results. Thanks to my friend, Lucinda, deciding she needed healthier lunches, I got back on my salad kick this week. With Pete's schedule this week, I also managed to consistently eat breakfast at home each day. I don't know which of these, or if it was both contributed to my losing 2.4 pounds this week. I'll take it! Finally the scale is showing some movement and in the right direction.
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 583.9
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 583.9
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: -2.8
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