All kinds of thoughts go through my head when I ride my bike, more-so perhaps today since I actually rode it instead of the stationary bike at the gym. In no order, here they are:
No wonder bikers wear sunglasses. I spent the last two miles or so with a gnat crawling around in my lower eyelid. Felt lovely. I need to dig out some lenses from a dark corner. No doubt they'll be covered in scratches. (I hate wearing anything "extra".)
I imagine what I would do if I was hit from behind on a car. Crumple into a ball? Fillet my body open as I skid across the pavement? Snap my spinal column? I very much feel my vulnerability as I wobble along on that skinny frame of a bike.
And how about a dog? Thankfully they were behind fences or totally disinterested in a 39-year-old slow-poke, but what if a dog flew at my bike, blasting full-force into it? It's woman versus dog, and I don't like that.
How do people manage to drink anything while biking? My gears are between my legs, and changing those gears is enough to land me in trouble, let alone getting out that water bottle for some rehydration!
What's with the toe and foot cramps? First it was my left 4th toe, and it crawled up into my foot. I had no choice but to ride it out. Awhile later, it was my right foot's toe. I guess this is all about learning how to perform with any kind of "glitch". (I feel like I've had my fair share in the few times I've ridden, so I consider myself well-prepared if not in shape.)
It's a lot windier on the road than on the bike at the gym!
My sis says I have runner's legs, not biker's. She's right. Ha!
. . .
Today's ride went better than I expected in some ways. We rode the same route as when my tire exploded, and I felt SO much better today than I did on that first ride! And we went 10 miles further today, which really felt good! My time wasn't as good as it is when I ride at the gym, but we were dealing with some good hills. I am not comfortable with all the gear shifting yet, so when we went down hills, I ended up coasting rather than yanking the gears around. But I felt like I could have continued on indefinitely. Yes, my legs got tired on some of the long hills, but I didn't feel like I was going to die. So, today for the first time, I'm starting to think I might actually survive the biking portion of the triathlon. Yay!
No wonder bikers wear sunglasses. I spent the last two miles or so with a gnat crawling around in my lower eyelid. Felt lovely. I need to dig out some lenses from a dark corner. No doubt they'll be covered in scratches. (I hate wearing anything "extra".)
I imagine what I would do if I was hit from behind on a car. Crumple into a ball? Fillet my body open as I skid across the pavement? Snap my spinal column? I very much feel my vulnerability as I wobble along on that skinny frame of a bike.
And how about a dog? Thankfully they were behind fences or totally disinterested in a 39-year-old slow-poke, but what if a dog flew at my bike, blasting full-force into it? It's woman versus dog, and I don't like that.
How do people manage to drink anything while biking? My gears are between my legs, and changing those gears is enough to land me in trouble, let alone getting out that water bottle for some rehydration!
What's with the toe and foot cramps? First it was my left 4th toe, and it crawled up into my foot. I had no choice but to ride it out. Awhile later, it was my right foot's toe. I guess this is all about learning how to perform with any kind of "glitch". (I feel like I've had my fair share in the few times I've ridden, so I consider myself well-prepared if not in shape.)
It's a lot windier on the road than on the bike at the gym!
My sis says I have runner's legs, not biker's. She's right. Ha!
. . .
Today's ride went better than I expected in some ways. We rode the same route as when my tire exploded, and I felt SO much better today than I did on that first ride! And we went 10 miles further today, which really felt good! My time wasn't as good as it is when I ride at the gym, but we were dealing with some good hills. I am not comfortable with all the gear shifting yet, so when we went down hills, I ended up coasting rather than yanking the gears around. But I felt like I could have continued on indefinitely. Yes, my legs got tired on some of the long hills, but I didn't feel like I was going to die. So, today for the first time, I'm starting to think I might actually survive the biking portion of the triathlon. Yay!
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