The Bike

So let’s talk about biking… most people I have a lot of brass and will do just about anything. They also know that I’m sort of a control freak. Not in a bad way but like on the bike, if I don’t feel like I have complete control of what I’m doing then I struggle. I don’t care about situations or people or whatever most control freaks want control of. Mine is about what I’m doing. I was the kid who if I couldn’t do something well the first time I did it I would not do it. Or if I thought I wasn’t as good as other people I wouldn’t do it. So as a kid I didn’t “do” a lot of things. My loss…

So now I’m an adult and I don’t care what other people think so I’m doing things. However, I didn’t learn to really ride a bike as a kid. We didn’t really have any and the roads in my neighborhood were more like dot-to-dot patterns of pavement. Oh and the hills to get out of the lake area were horrendous! The roads had no shoulders and often the edge of the road was even eroded away. It just was not a good place to ride. The last time I rode a bike I was 15 (1981). Keep in mind that I lived at an “undeveloped” lake. So we decided to go over to a friend’s house real quick to do or get something. I got on the green 3 speed. Yeah 3! Anyway, it didn’t matter how many speeds it had because you never used them! As we were going past a T-junction a block from the house a car came around the corner way into my lane. I swerved, went into the gravel that has runoff from the edge of the park and lost control of the bike. I was in a string bikini (remember I was 15 and could wear one!) I “supermanned” about 20 ft across the top of the gravel. Nothing major but it looked awful. No skin on my chin, the inside of my arms, my upper chest, belly, thighs and the tops of my feet. All surfaces scratches but it looked bad! School was about to start and by the time I the bike was fixed we were in school. The next summer I was 16 and driving so who needs a bike!

I got back on a bike for the first time (other than trying to teach my kid how to ride one) on April 16. Oops! I crashed it. It was a bad crash. I thought I was ok but the next day I had trouble and they took me to the ER. The doc there said I had a concussion – he used some word to describe it but basically it meant pretty bad. They sent me home and told me not to go back to work for a few days. I have vision trouble still and my speech is mostly normal. I was having trouble will alliteration and sometimes I could think something but could not get the words out of my mouth. It was very frustrating – especially since I teach! I went my doc and he said if I hadn’t had on a helmet I’d be dead. How’s that for a first ride in 27 years!

So here I am, learning to ride a bike. I am even more cautious than before the crash. I was doing ok with the speed and getting into aero. I just needed to learn to work the gears. (Remember, I have never done that!) It was on a hill in aero that I crashed. So now I hyperventilate when I start going fast. I know that I will be ok eventually just not sure how long it’s going to take. I don’t feel like I have control of the bike. Or rather where the front tire goes. So far I’ve been riding upright not in aero. Once in a while I will get in aero but not often. When I have ridden with Koach he will make me do it but I don’t stay there long. Last time I had one hand on the aero bar and one on the brake! The speed scares the bejeezes out of me!

The more I ride the better but the weather hasn’t been very cooperative either. It’s been 30 mph winds or storms since May. Unless it’s a day where I have NO time to ride and then it’s perfect riding weather! Today was the best day we’ve had in a long time. I rode about 45 minutes with traffic but still not in aero. Not being in aero also means I’m working harder than I should because I’m not using the gears they way they are meant. I did shift once today (I think – maybe twice) but that doesn’t really help.

Keep your fingers crossed for me. I want to be doing “Ok” by the time I leave for DC at the end of the month. I’ll be gone for 9 days without the bike.

What a difference a pair of shoes makes! (And a day makes too…)

I did the 2nd Rock Creek trail race on Saturday. I was miserable for the first one so I didn’t write about it. I hated every step. I could not even enjoy being in the woods I was so miserable. But this weekend was a different story! When we left Topeka in May we went right to Garry Gribble’s Running Sports. (ok – we were parked there but we went in.) I bought new trail shoes. I had been wearing the Vasque Blurr’s – I did not like them. When I tried them on in the store, they were fine but running was different. So I bought a pair of Brooks Cascadia’s – LOVE them!!! My old ones were Cascadia’s also. This was the Cascadia 3. Garry had not been carrying the women’s version in his stores and I had been reluctant to have him order a pair without trying them on. Trish, Cheri & I went in to the Independence store and they had them in stock! I tried them on a WOW – it was like the first time I put on my Nike Vomero’s! It was perfect.

So we did the race – this one was 10 miles. The series progress in length over 4 races. It was HUMID. Holy Cow! I was dripping – you could ring out my running skirt! The race is tough but not bad. There are lots of rocks and relentless ups and downs. It took 2 hours 38 min to do 10 miles. Last year at the same time, I did Hospital Hill in 2hrs 23 min and it’s 13.1 miles! Let’s just say the elements were trying very hard to win!

Cheri & I did a race the next day (Sunday) for Heartland. They have been primarily mountain bike people but have started some trail races. I was 1st and Cheri was 2nd in the women’s race. Oh yeah! We were the only women! And she let me run ahead of her. I'll take a first place - it might be the only time it ever happens! She is practicing pacing me at Mt. Hood. She did an excellent job. I would have taken longer on the 2nd loop if she hadn’t bee with me. I just need someone to keep my mind busy so I can’t think too much about the task at hand. And she made decisions about when to run and when to walk. I think I started Sunday’s race dehydrated. Or at least low on electrolytes. I was beat very early. It was like I couldn’t catch my breath…

I was feeling pretty beat up about it over the weekend. I kept saying “How am I going to do 50 miles, when I can barely do 10?” I think compounded with the struggles I’m having on the bike I just wasn’t feeling like “me” – I said something to Cheri about that while we were running and she said “How can you not feel successful? A month ago you couldn’t even run and look how well you are doing!” Sunday – I didn’t care but today I feel better about it all. I know I can finish Mt. Hood. Don’t what my time will be but I know I can finish.

Now I just have to get over the bike… hypnosis maybe! :D