Category: Cycling

Previously published: Monday May 14, 2014

The Honeymoon is over, the pain has begun. My hips, my side, and why are my arms hurting? Yesterday, I pushed myself out of bed early to eat something before my ride, and an hour later it began to rain and rain hard. I felt that was a legitimate excuse for not riding my bike today, after all, I was sore. As the sun came out and dried away the roads and excuses, I refused to listen to the aches and pains while preparing for my morning ride.

It’s funny, I wanted to ride to be alone with my thoughts, yet each time I pull up into the parking lot outside of the track, my heart sinks just a little when I realize I’m the only person riding today. There are other miscellaneous riders, but we just nod in acknowledgment as we ride past each other. It’s not the same as riding with David’s cycling group at night. As, I began my morning ride, quite prepared with my music, headphones, cotton balls for nose bleeds, water bottle, and helmet. I was quite proud of myself until I saw another cyclist in their matching kit.

You know, the multi-colored shirt and shorts with letters and numbers all over, a mental note made to make that a goal before my first competition. Content for the moment I started riding on the five-mile track around the Pompano Airport and then the music started jumping around. Ugh, I must get that fixed how can I ride to music that’s jumping around? The wind was no less relentless this morning as it put me through the test, the more I peddled the more it blew against me. I had originally planned to ride around the park twice. However, with all the challenges that morning, by the time I had completed a full circle, I was feeling uneasy, a little lightheaded, and just not in the mood. I packed up my bike. Gave myself a pat on the back for making it through the first day of wind and pain. Reality is starting to set in, do I really want to do this? That’s what my body was saying, my brain was already trying to coordinate the next day’s ride.

Previously published: Monday, May 7, 2012

Slightly, discouraged that I was placed on a 12-9 shift three nights in a row, I had given up the thought of riding more than once this week. My niece texted me to let me know she was coming down later that day and asked if she could come stay with me for a while. I welcomed her precious presence.

Around 5:00 pm she texted me that she was stranded about 30 miles north of my place of employment. I took off early to go pick her up and it was a welcome sight to see her. Halfway home I realized that I was off early enough to go riding. I asked her if she would like to join me, and to my delight she said yes. We arrive in time for David and his son to prepare a Specialized bike for her to ride. Off we went around the five-mile track. The breeze was just right and twenty minutes later, she was hooked. Even though her bottom and a few muscles would be sore she thanked me for sharing the experience with her. “Aunt Jan you always do fun stuff!” I was thankful to have her ride with me so that we could share the joy of accomplishment together.

Previously published: Saturday, May 5, 2012

Getting ready for my long-awaited bike ride has become more of a chore than I could have imagined. Even though I had just purchased some gym shoes before my surgery, the swelling in my toe wouldn’t allow me to wear them. Just having a bike to ride hasn’t been enough. After two months of sitting, the air had seeped out of the tires. I discovered after I placed a dollar’s worth of quarters into the air machine at a local gas station, that it didn’t have the correct air pump needle. Egad! What is this? I had to purchase a helmet, front and back lights, and new earphones. What happened to the ones I bought last month? Cinco de Mayo for me was riding around the five-mile track twice in 45 minutes. It seemed easy enough until I stopped. My hamstrings were singing a new song called “Oh nothing but the pain of hamstrings,” (sung to the tune of Nothing but the blood of Jesus) As I contemplated what I had just accomplished. I looked around and there was no one to share it with, At that triumphant moment I wished that there was at least one person to share this amazing experience with.

Previously published: Thursday, May 3, 2012

I’m riding my bike now. Very exhilarating, freeing. Yesterday I rode 5 miles. With my big toe, still very sore I was very careful about putting my gym shoes on. I met with David, the captain of the AA cycling riding team. He adjusted the handlebars, sprayed my chain will lubrication, and showed me how to properly use the gears on my bike. He reminded me to breathe through my nose, which could eventually cause my nose to bleed I was aware of. But he said it would stop after I was breathing regularly through my nose. I met two other AA cycling women, it was inspiring to see other AA women cycling as well. I have my helmet, lights, seat, and some sports glasses now. My next goal is to purchase the black riding shorts, get a pump for my bike, a tool kit, gloves, and a good water bottle for my bike. I don’t know if I need a kickstand or not.

8:30 am Today, I’m going riding before work. I had a bowl of oatmeal with a few sprinkles of almonds and cranberries and a bottle of water. I will be back in an hour. Shower for work, and leave for work about 11:00 a.m. I don’t know what happened to my headphones but it seems like I need to buy another pair AGAIN. UGH! 10:24 am Wow! I’m back. I rode eight miles on my Trek this morning, Had I used the Roadmaster it would have taken me an hour, today 30 minutes! And I was riding slowly, huffing and puffing all the way!

Previously published: circa February 2012

John Bingham captures my heart very well in this quote from an article he wrote:

“A race doesn’t allow you to hide from the challenges of the event or from your own limitations. You can lie all you want before the race but when the gun goes off, the truth comes out and you can’t be anything other than what you are.”

For a quarter of a century, I have hidden in the shadow of another person’s goals and dreams. On my sash of pride, I have collected supporting badges from persons to agencies. Weekly, I receive calls from people thanking me for being there for them and loyally supporting their cause.

It didn’t make a difference if it was a start-up church or business, I was supportive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to help others out. Yet, my level of help was unbalanced as a flat tire. I never valued myself enough to believe in completing my own dreams and goals. I prided myself on being a helpful servant to others, all the while denying myself the same sense of accomplishment that others were establishing. My dreams sat on the bench of life, waiting to be called into the game. There was always a reason an excuse for why they just sat there. Oh my work hours, oh the kids are too young, oh I’m busy helping out…

Today It’s different. For once in my life I’ve thrown my dreams out into the cold water. Sink or swim. I’ve spoken it to enough people, and I can’t back down without shame or excuses. My fears, and doubts of my decision to participate in a triathlon were confirmed by Ironman Chef Joe Bastianich.

“Once you get into endurance sports, especially triathlon, it becomes a lifestyle. It’s a different way of looking at work, life and relationships. There’s perseverance, patience, focus, and a goal-oriented disposition. It plays into the same formula for success, whatever you apply it to in life.”