Since I had off today, I decided to do my bike workout outside, instead of inside. 50% chance of rain, but last week when I intended on going outside the chances were 70%. Did it rain? Not even close. So, I took my end of the 50% today and went for a ride.
For those of you who aren't aware, I have new bike. I sold my old roadster to my sole-sista-soon-to-be-road-sista, Alice'. I bought a new Quintana Roo Seduza (I like to call it the sedoozy.) I thought "GREAT! A tri bike! After all these years, I'm finally legit!"
And then it went downhill from there.
When I got my first road bike, it was really scary riding it. It was soooo much lighter than the regular ol' mountain bike I was used to. The riding position was slightly different. I thought at any moment I could crash because it was so light. Any move you made on it seemed very exaggerated and gave me a heart attack.
I got used to it and that bike got me through tons of HUGE races. We'd been though a lot together, but I knew it was time to move on. I bought the tri bike. Full carbon, time trial frame, it's a beautiful bike. However, I felt like I was literally learning how to ride a bike all over again.
First of all, you see all these people (some are questionable might I add) riding around in aero position. Can't be that hard, right? WRONG. Oh my gosh, I think I'm just a big chicken because it took me forever to finally get comfortable getting down on the bars. All I could think of was "How am I ever going to ride 112 miles on this thing?"
On a tri bike, all of your weight is on a very unstable front wheel, instead of on a regular road bike, where you're sitting up and your weight is on the non-shifting rear wheel. The seat is typically higher than the handlebars, so you're leaning down farther. The brakes and gear shifters aren't in the same place. You have to react very fast to sit up and brake because they aren't on the aero bars. It's just a big hot mess.
The guy at the bike shop refused to adjust my aero bars to a wider position, because (and he was right for the record) he felt that I didn't need them there. I simply had to get on the bike more. Kind of like when you get the clip in pedals and you're scared you'll forget to clip out when you stop? (Which you will...) My roomie, Jennifer, was a good friend and went with me to Pelican Park so I could RIDE MY BICYCLE IN THE GRASS. Yes, I may as well have had training wheels put on.
I got comfortable with it and finally took it out on the road. It was hard to adjust at first, so scared I was going to crash, and it seemed like I felt EVERY bump in the road that day, but now I love my bike! (with the exception of the seat. I need to get a new one because it's hurts my danger zone.)
I feel so fast! (Even though I'm not, but I feel like I am and the positive feeling that gives me makes it all good.)
Each day I go through an up and down about this race. "I'm not going to finish." to "You can do this, you're getting better." More of the "I should not have signed up for this" moments than the "this is going to epic." thoughts. It's lonely training for an Ironman. Obviously since it's an individual race. You can't depend on anyone but yourself to get you through it.
Who is going to wake up and run with you? People think 10 miles is long ride, why would anyone want to do 50 or more? And when you finish your workouts and come back, the only person who knows your effort and is satisfied is you. I want to share this with somebody, because if someone does it with you, then they know what it took to get there. It's like your accountability. Someone to say, "Oh you had a bad day? Don't worry about it, I had those, but it's just one day. You're not getting worse! You can do it!"
This whole thing is so mental. May needs to hurry up and get here!
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