New Pedals, new shoes and a saturday ride...

alison's new pedal...mine are white

This morning Alison and I went biking with Kevin. It was a great route starting in Glen Rock. We went through a number of different towns. The terrain was mostly flat with a few hills totaling a 20 mile ride. It was great to be outdoors. The weather is getting cold, making most of my sessions on a bike trainer. They are great work outs especially at 545 in the morning (too dark to ride outside). But I love being outside. Kevin led Alison and me on the ride today. He prepared us for what was coming up. During the ride, Alison's pedal broke. She had to do the last ten miles not clipped in. But it wasn't too bad. When we were away last week, I spoke to Alison's sister who said getting road pedals would really be helpful to my ride and I would feel a difference when doing hills. getting new pedals was on my list of things to do but after alison's pedal busted today, we decided to go to TBW and get new pedals. We both bought the Keo Sprint pedals. I also had to get a new pair of cycling shoes because my shoes were mountain bike shoes. I tried on a pair of sidi but the bontrager were much more comfortable and affordable. We were put on the trainer and I loved my new set up. I wanted to ride outside but it was getting too dark. The pedals are easy to clip in but the clip out is a bit tougher. I am hoping to ride again on Sunday, possibly Monday. Until the next ride...

"get a bicycle. YOu will certainly not regret it. If you live" Mark Twain

before we began our ride today, emma, my cycling coach for Team WE,  said this ride wasn't about speed as much as it was about soul. the concept of the soul can lead to many different philosophical conversations, but in this certain circumstance it resonated through me to make complete sense. i was ready to get on my bike and not be afraid of hills anymore. walking my dog this morning, i started to think of all the things i could climb with my bike. I did get a bit crazy deciding if I transformed buildings in certain ways, i could climb up them. i live at the bottom of a big hill and I have never climbed up it. Hills have been a challenge. They increase my heart rate, they hurt my legs and they make me feel slow. Hills still are a challenge but I decided today that I wasn't going to be afraid of the hill no matter how big it was or how long it was. I didn't care if I went 2 mph, I was going to keep pedaling. I was going to utilize a full rotation including my calves and quads. Arriving at the parking lot today at Tiorati parking lot, I was a bit nervous. It was chilly out and I never know if I will be too cold or too hot. Eventually I say "F*ck it" and just get ready...within 10 minutes, I was out on the road and I was super excited. The road felt great. My toes were freezing. It was a beautiful fall day and I knew there was no place I would rather be. The first incline, i was zooming. I looked down and my heart rate was super high, but I didn't care too much. i knew it would slow down and I was filled with energy, both nervous and excited. Then there was a down hill and I was ready to go. I was riding with teammates and I knew I was far ahead so I needed to slow down. I also have a tendency to go too hard at the beginning. The conservation of energy is something I still need to work on. Luckily I have a coach who says "FALCON stay with your team"...so i brought myself to the back. But that didn't last too long. even in a group, I still need to work on the back of the pack. I like being work horse. So we were now at the part of the road where we had a bit of an incline and then we we were going to go downhill! woo hoo! 7 weeks ago, I loved the idea of going downhill but I would get nervous with the wind and i would clip one of my shoes out! But, I was given 3 instructions. 1. keep my legs near the center tube 2. keep your body down (get in drops if i'd like) 3. breathe and relax. There may have been four instructions, but I have only needed three. This has greatly improved my downhill. 

Next came a 2 mile incline. I was proud of myself and my attitude. When we arrived back at the tiorati circle, I went around a few times and then it was time to meet Mara, a cycling coach for Team WE.  I did a quick life history and introduced myself and then we went on our way for the second loop. Mara came up to me and said I had a good cadence that she liked. A little ways up, she said I had potential. We did some drills of getting up on the bike and she gave me some pointers. The downhill was super and the second time doing the uphill was a bit rough. I couldn't wait to get to the end of it, to see that circle. When I got to the circle I decided i was going to go around it for one mile. I did about .5 miles and then decided that was enough. 

....

post-ride notes: 

I want to ride the loop again and again. The weather is difficult to ride in. But now it is time to train and get myself ready for the spring. I want to do more hills and think I will try to go up the hill in my town at least once a week. The first eight weeks of riding with a coach and a team have been inspiring for me. This team isn't only about competition; it is about support and getting to another level from women and men who have the skills to get me to another point in my training. I am proud of today. And yes, I want to get up hills faster. and i enjoy the speed but it will always be about the soul...

my drawing with words by rand...

i read this quote and it makes me want to ride a bit harder just for me. 

Ever since I was a little kid I loved to ride my bike.I would go through the woods thinking I was a daredevil. I could ride by myself or ride with friends. It didn't matter because the feeling the bike gave me was one of pure delight. I had dreams Of bmx bikes when I was little. Waking up to find a brand new fast bike just for me. That didn't happen. My huffy was just fine. And I had communal bikes at grandparents houses. There was no bike fitting. It was just grab a bike you could find and ride. I started riding a bike by age 4. I thought I could do no hands by age 5. That landed me in the hospital with stitches in my arm. I came back to my grandmother and mother exclaiming I could almost see my bone. They were not as impressed. That wouldn't be my only mishap on a bike. At eight years old I decided I could ride a 10 speed road bike. I was cruising real fast. But when it came time to stop, flipping over the handlebars was not the greatest idea. Landed me back in the emergency room. Two front teeth gone and I had a blotch of blood on my nose for weeks. The doctor never showed up to put my teeth back in. Btw, I had no helmet on both of these spills.
Five years ago I wad told I had leukemia again. I had to get a stem cell transplant in order to survive because my own blood cells were not working properly. In the hospital, after my transplant, almost every morning I would get up at 5:30 and ride a stationary bike for at least 20 minutes. I knew I had to do this before I ate because then the vomiting and the drugs would start around 7am and I wouldn't feel well for the rest of the day possibly. In between my year and a half of remission, my parents bought me a trek mountain bike. When I was well enough, I would try to ride a bit, but my blood counts were a bit questionable.
3 years after my transplant, I decided on my 30th birthday, it was time to buy myself a present to change my life. A road bike. I must admit, there are rules and clothes that sometimes make it feel like a task. It isn't about jeans, a tee shirt and sneakers on my little huffy anymore. But, riding is my freedom,a remedy for my anxiety and my quiet piece of mind. It allows me to daydream and fulfill goals (at least in my head). So here I begin my journey of biking with falcon...