Training with the New vCrew of Velo Valero

Today we were invited to joing the New vCrew of Velo Valero on their training ride. We met at Comal Elementary and headed towards 3009. Today was to be our flat route for mileage ride. It started out as a nice, flat route. I pedaled along side Rana and Colin Russel for awhile. They have a great story. Rana (mom) has MS and is on the Lone Star Chapter MS Society board of directors. Her son, Colin, has been in the Club 100 every year. He rides on the tandem with his mom and for his mom. They began to pull away from me though and I didn't recognize why I was falling back already.

I struggled up a couple minor inclines, but felt justified when Vicki passed me and commented that her legs were burning. I got to the first major turn and Pete was waiting for me. Clearly, our regroup mileage distances were wrong and the group is not regrouping at this point. I tell Pete I feel like I have no legs, have some Gu and we head on. We come upon some of our riders having a flat repair training session on the side of the road. I take advantage of the break to catch my breath and stretch.

Highway 3009 is a rough road surface and constant hills. I pass some of our riders as I speed down some hills, but they catch me on the next up hill. There are points on this road where there is no shoulder and the cars are flying by and many of them don't slow down or give the bikes any space to clearly and safely continue our ride. As we pass the Wild Animal Park, I have to get off of the bike. I already contemplating turning back. I just don't have the energy or the legs to battle this surface and climb these hills today.

Pete and I continue on and I struggle up the next hill. Part way up I decide I can't make the climb and get off the bike. Somehow I lose my balance and almost fall (thankfully to the right out of the path of the traffic) but I manage to jump and bobble and catch myself and not fall! Frustrated, I walk up the rest of the hill. Just then, one of our riders comes by in his minivan. Apparently, he had multiple flats today and is now driving SAG for us. He confirms that we know the route and don't need help before he heads out.

At the bottom of the hill, we get to turn right onto the next highway. This is a new surface and a nice relief. I try to enjoy the surface and make the most of the ride. We come upon a long, flat stretch with beautiful scenery and I realize I'm not enjoying the ride. I can't enjoy the scenery around me. I'm struggling to get my legs to work to push the pedals around and get the wheels to keep turning. This stretch should be easy for me, but I'm struggling. I'm frustrated. I decide I'm done.

At the first stretch of shade, I stop and tell Pete I'm done. He begins telling me what lays ahead if we cut the ride short and head straight back to the parking lot. I try to explain what I just went through on the flat, but only tears roll down my face instead of words coming out. Just then, our SAG pulls up again and I decide I'm getting in. Pete gives me the keys to the truck and I promise to drive the route backwards to check on him.

Pete quickly finished the short route and gets back to the truck before I do. Unfortunately, I ended up a hostage in the minivan with a driver who didn't understand how much more I could do in the truck as SAG and that Pete was taking the short route and was sitting in the sun (no shade) at the parking lot now waiting for us. Thankfully, I was able to recognize Vicki and Alyssa at an intersection trying to determine the correct route. I got him to turn around to check on them and point them in the correct direction. We stopped at the gas station where everyone was regrouping.

Still, I couldn't get the van to take me back to the parking lot. We head out to chase the group into Gruene and come upon Rana and Colin who have blown out a tire of their tandem when crossing the railroad tracks. We manage to get the two of them and their tandem into the minivan. Now I know we need to head to the parking lot! Unfortunately, Rana lives closer and convinces our driver to just take her home and she can retrieve her truck later that afternoon. In the process we get a call to pick up a couple riders in Gruene.

So, we drop off Rana and Colin and head back to Gruene. I am shaking in frustration and cannot believe how this day is turning out. We pick up the next two riders and I'm glad there is some new blood to keep the conversation going. Finally, I get back to the parking lot. Pete has been there for over an hour and was as patient as he could be in the sweltering heat after a hard ride. We jump in the truck and begin to back drive the route. We find Vicki and cheer her on. I tell her we're driving out the 50 mile route to check on Tony and will return.

Further out on the longer route, we find Tony. He's doing well and we watch him stand on the pedals to climb a hill. The rest of the riders give us the thumbs up, so we continue back to the parking lot. Along the way, I beg for a pit stop at a gas station. Here we find some of the hammerheads who did the 50 mile route. They're shocked to see me and then realize I "cheated". I smile and we head back to the parking lot in the truck as they jump back on their bikes.

We are all exhausted and ready to call it a day! So many things went wrong in so many ways today and I just want to get this day behind us. Vicki, who finished the entire 40 mile route, declares this a horrible route. I quickly agree and now know what it's like when you "feel like you have square tires on your bike". I won't try this route again any time soon!

Goals
Today's Miles: 16.4
Total Miles Achieved: 783.12
Financial Investment: $1988.47
Total Weight Loss: 0