Saturday, September 17, 2005

Can’t Walk and Chew Gum…

I was gonna tell you all about my great run yesterday. Then I had a wild ride, so I changed my mind. I’m a women, I can do that.

I ran 3 miles. I made it by picking small goals and conquering them one by one. It was incredible. It was very humid but I still did very well. I ran further and walked less than I expected. One signpost down, small tree down, mailbox down, pothole down. You get the idea?

Okay, I am proud of myself and I was going to chat about my ride.

I was off work with the intention of spending most of it at the hospital with a friend. After the crash and burn of Thursday, I needed something more to calm me down besides all the sugar I inhaled. I decided I would get some of my work out in that I was behind in. I ran then went to the hospital for a couple hours and then home again to ride.

It was about 2 and it was pretty hot. I planned on doing the new 17+ miles out and back route I had mapped out last week. It has a nasty curvy road for about a mile and a half but the rest is great. Its got hilly sections and some flat sections and plenty of shade, the perfect training route.

So off I go, with plenty of water and a slow easy ‘lets-get-some-miles-in’ pace. I wasn’t out for any time trails. I had plenty of time, an oddity for me. I just wanted to ride for a couple hours. The first mile is flat, then a gigantic hill, and then the next two miles are hill intervals. I am going through the hill intervals and am going up hill number three. I am going pretty slow, needing to feel the burn in my legs instead of the burn in my lungs. This is harder than when I zoom, zoom, zoom them. I gear down, and that isn’t enough, so I stand up on the pedals. My gears didn’t shift right and just as I come to a full stance, they catch and I come to a complete STOP.

Weeeell, I didn’t come to a complete stop. The next thoughts in my head were:

“I just CRASHED.”

“ I just crashed on my FACE.”

“Ouch.”

“Are those my Ray-Bans over there.”

“NO, its, the visor off my helmet.”

“Ray-Bans are hurting my cheek.”

“I just CRASHED.”

“For the First time.”

Now I am standing

“My head hurts.”

“My Face hurts.”

“I’m bleeding.”

“Wish I had a mirror.”

“How bad is it?”

“I am. Really. Bleeding.”

Now I have gotten the bike off the road and have my helmet back together.

“Will I make it home?”

“No cell phone, no one there to come get me.”

“Can I make the whole ride?”

My head no longer hurts and I have my handlebars straightened now.

“Oh, bike mirror!!!”

“Not too much damage for falling on your face.”

“Ride and see how you feel.”

Now I have gotten back on the bike and have made it up the hill and feeling much better than what my imaginary first crash would have been like.

“Feeling good except for my face.”

“Head has stopped spinning.”

“Keep riding.”

Now I have made it to the turn around for the 7.2-mile route.

“My lip is still bleeding

“Not like it was.”

“Don’t have the courage, to try the scary next mile and a half. Can I turn around and go home?”

“The road goes two ways.”

“Ride the other way.”

“Don’t know that part of the road.”

“Ride the other way. Just for a few minutes, I still wanna ride. That big bruise coming up on the back of your leg isn’t gonna hurt. Today.”

“Okay, isn’t that weird-farm that way? Just for a little while.”

Now I am riding on an unknown road and doing okay, until this bigger than I wanna tackle hill appears. I make it up and feel exhausted all of a sudden. I turn back.

My bike computer says I did about ten miles. Not bad for another ‘Crash and Burn’ episode.

My injuries are a scrapped up upper lip that could pass for a cold sour. A scrap on my chin 'bout the size of a dime, the whole right third of my mouth is a little bruised and my low lip has a couple chapped-looking scrapes on it. I also have a nice size bruise on the back of my leg from the cross bar of my bike. My cheek is tender and so is a spot on my shoulder but they are not black and blue. Nothing got broken except my pride. I’ll try for a long ride again on Saturday.

Oh, by the way, my Ray-Bans have a big scratch on them. The place where I got them said it would cost me $115 to fix them. Its outta my line of vision, I’ll wait.

Friday Training:
Run 3 miles, road and XC.
Bike 10+ miles.

Life - Don’t stand up until you're sure the gears changed.

Monday, August 29, 2005

In the Beginning

I love to read blogs. I have found them entertaining, sad, inspiring and fun.

I started this blog to create my own little world.