I must admit I've been procrastinating about getting on my bike for the first time this season. I had all my excuses lined up every time I thought about riding. Just the thought of putting air in my tires, pulling out my bike clothes, filling up all those water bottles, etc. was too much for me to think about. It's been a long winter, and spring hasn't been that great, and I think I still was in a state of lethargy that can occur after too much cold weather and rain. Add to that the hassles of the end of the school year, and I really didn't feel like riding. Every time I would think of riding, I would think of climbing that last mountain in Solvang, California, and what every energy I had would disappear. I started to worry when friends and family were asking me if I had started to ride, and my answer was always no.
So, last week, I told myself I was going to ride no matter what. The night before I loaded up my car with my bike and all those wonderful bike accessories, and the next morning I filled up the water bottles, and made those famous peanut butter and bananas sandwiches. After dropping my daughter off at school, I headed down to the lake front and parked in my usual space. The bad news was that it was pretty darn cold, and the good news was the wind was not too bad (which is a miracle in Chicago). The last time I had ridden was when I completed the 100 mile ride in Solvang so my bike chain was still shifted onto the smallest gear ring so I could climb those hills and mountains in Solvang. In Illinois, I always stay in the largest ring because it's so flat. Here I was riding, once again, in boring Illinois, and I couldn't remember how to shift my chain from the smallest to the largest ring. After swearing a bit, I finally figured out how to make the change, and then I settled down a bit. At first everything felt a little odd, but once I took a deep breath and smelled the crisp morning air, it all felt more familiar. There were not many people out and that's just how I like it. I told myself I was not going to overdo it, and so I set my goal on riding 2 hours. By the end of last summer, riding 2 hours was like riding around the block. However, I soon found out that I was a little rusty, and although riding all those miles last summer definitely taught me how to ride, I realized that I was still going to need to train and build up my endurance once again.
I know riding this year will be easier since I learned so much from training last summer. I must admit it took me about 2 months last summer to finally feel more confident about riding. It definitely was a learning experience. So, those of you who are new to all of this, please hang in there. It will become more familiar to you over time. Just know that if you put the time and energy in now, you will have a wonderful way to exercise and enjoy the outdoors for the rest of your life. Although some of you may worry that there is not enough time to train, trust me there is plenty of time. When October rolls around you will know what I mean. I was pretty tired of riding by the time I headed out to Solvang last fall. I now realize that it's best to pace myself and not to over train so that I will still be motivated and enthusiastic when the time comes to ride in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas. As you start to follow the training plan that Deb and Brian create specifically for you, you will be amazed how you will get better over time. I remember how good it felt last year when I saw myself riding further each week. The training plans really do work.
After my first time riding I felt tired but exhilarated. It helped remind me of how much I love to ride. Taking a break from life and being outdoors made me feel great for the rest of the day. There is something about cycling that calms my soul, and I knew that my addiction towards riding had kicked in once again. My summer is busier than last year and I know it will be harder to find the time to ride but I feel that excitement within me once again, and I know I will make the time to get out there and pedal as much as possible. However, not every ride is exhilarating. For example, when I rode again, I was reminded of how grueling it can be sometimes. It was very cold, and this time there was a strong wind. I under dressed because I thought it was going to warm up. This was a reasonable assumption given that it's June. I was wrong, however, because it never warmed up. It wasn't a good day to be wearing bike shorts. The wind was behind me for the first half of my ride, but when I turned around and felt how cold and windy it was, I thought how the heck was I going to get back. I stopped in a rest room to try and warm up. My hands were so cold that when I tried to work the sliding lock on the bathroom door, I sliced a big piece of skin off of my finger. There I was with blood all over the place, and thinking what should I do. Learn by my mistakes. Always carry band aides with you. I wrapped my injured finger in a cloth I carried with me for cleaning my sunglasses, and started to ride my bike back to my car. Let me just say it was a long ride, but I did it even though I couldn't feel anything in my toes or fingers, and my injury was aggravated by leaning on my handle bars. You will have your good days, but don't be fooled, you will definitely have your bad days too. That ride required me to dig deep, and all my riding last summer helped me to push forward. You too will be able to experience the challenge of pushing yourself beyond your every day limits. Training for, and participating in, this ride will give you the opportunity to go above and beyond what you usually do in life. At the end of the day, you will be proud of yourself, and will be able to use what you learn in other aspects of your life. Whether it's breast cancer or other trying times, or even the every day stresses of life, it's good to know that you do have what it takes to get through the sticking points of life.
Sometime fear is what keeps us from pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zone. When I took my first ride, I met a women who was doing maintenance work by the lake front. She came over and asked me about my bike. She was about my age but after talking to her I could tell she was not young at heart. She told me she used to ride when she was young but was afraid to ride now because she had a fear of falling and hurting herself. I, of course, encouraged her to get a bike, and start riding a little bit at a time. I told her if you become afraid of trying new things then that's a sure way of becoming old. It's okay to be afraid but don't let that stop you from living life. In order to find out what you are truly capable of in life you need to overcome your fears and push yourself beyond your comfort zone. I will be doing that tomorrow when I go back to school to pursue a degree in a field in which I'd like to eventually work. Am I scared? You bet because I haven't been in a class room in almost 30 years. Will I let that fear stop me from going? No, because by overcoming my fears my life may end up taking a wonderful new direction. Get on those bikes and ride!! See what you are truly capable of when it comes to cycling. You may surprise yourselves. Pushing yourselves doesn't necessarily mean you will always succeed in reaching your goals but it sure makes life more interesting and worth living. It will also give you a better sense of who you really are when it comes to achieving your goals.
As Deb and Brian pointed out in one of their posts, please be safe. Always be aware of what is going on around you. If you are riding where there are people running or walking, always yell out to them which side you are passing them on. Sometimes I find myself becoming more careless the longer I ride because I'm tired. When this happens I find myself trying not to stop as I come to red lights or intersections. Instead of stopping, I find myself quickly looking both ways and riding on through. Not a good idea. When I start to become careless like that I reprimand myself and slow myself down so I can think more clearly. It's not worth taking chances. Whether it's geese you are avoiding (a hazard I encounter down by Lake Michigan), pedestrians, cars or even squirrels, please be alert and err on the side of caution. Trust me, it's not worth the risk.
I assume most of you who have already registered for the Ride have started to ride or will soon be riding. For those of you who are contemplating registering for the Ride, just know it's not to late to join up. In fact, there's still plenty of time to sign up and be a part of this worthy endeavor. All that matters is that you come and join us in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. Also, please don't forget to try to encourage others you know to participate in this event. Even dropping off information about the Ride at your local bike shops or riding clubs would be an excellent way to get the word out. Be creative that is the key. Being creative also applies to the other component of this Ride which has to do with fundraising. In my next post, I will talk about how my fundraising efforts are progressing, and try to give you a pep talk with respect to your efforts in this regard. In the meantime, if you have any questions or are experiencing any problems having to do with fundraising, please send me a comment. I will try to address these questions or problems in my next post. In the meantime, keep up the good work.
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