Revelation Day - Part II

I shared in Part I how I experienced the love of true friendship, the fellowship of new friends, and was visited by an angel named Barry at the PoOh Ride in Bellefountain.  Barry rode with me for the last 7 miles and if it weren’t for him, I’m not certain I would have made it in without being SAGGED. Here are some of the lessons I learned from Barry during those pivotal  7 miles:

1.       When riding hills, clip in. There is a cleat on the bottom of a bicycle shoe and the pedal has a receiver for the cleat which allows you to attach your foot to the pedal like your ski boot to the ski. Being “clipped in” increases the efficiency of your pedal stroke significantly because you can put power into the pedal as you pull your leg up and not just as you push down. The only trick is, you MUST twist your foot and release the cleat BEFORE you stop or you will fall over in a nasty spill attached to your bike.

 

I was not clipped in when attempting the hills because I was afraid I couldn’t climb the hill and would be unable to unclip before I stopped to get off the bike and walk the rest of the way up. My fear of failing to climb the hill caused me to take actions which pretty much insured that I would NOT be able to climb the hill. There’s a life lesson worth learning.

2.       Practice first, purchase second. The number of teeth on the biggest gear on the rear cassette of gears on the bike make a difference in how hard it is to pedal up a hill. This gear is known in the cycling world as the “Granny” gear, probably because your Grandma could walk past you when you are using this gear, it’s that slow, but it’s crucial to climbing steep hills.

Twenty eight teeth on the Granny gear is good but thirty teeth is better. My bike has 28 teeth so I asked Barry if he thought I should upgrade to a 30 tooth gear. Barry said that he thought I would see more benefit from time spent practicing on hills than money spent on a new gear. I was ready to make myself feel better by throwing money at the problem, Barry suggested I  practice and make myself feel better by getting better.

3.       Drop your heels when climbing. When your foot is flat on the pedal, you are able to push down only from about the 2 o’clock position to 6 o’clock. If you drop your heels down when climbing up the hill, it allows you to put force through the pedal from the 12 o’clock position through 6 o’clock. A small shift in how we attact a difficult challenge can make a huge difference in our ability to succeed.

4.       Don’t coast downhill, soft pedal and prepare. After you have put in all that effort and made the climb to the top of the hill, the natural instinct is to take a free ride and coast down the backside of the hill. Barry shared with me that it is critical to “soft pedal” down the hill. This means that you continue to slowly pedal as you come down the hill. The pedaling motion allows your circulatory system to clear the lactic acid that has accumulated in the muscles from the climb and therefore puts your body in the best state to climb the next hill. Use the easy times to prepare for the hard times.

5.       Don’t put up with what you can easily change. As I have shared in previous entries, my rain pants (I call them my swooshy pants) are water resistant, not water proof. Big difference! By the time Barry came on the scene, my swooshy pants were completely soaked through so I was not only battling the hills, I was contending with hypothermia as well. Barry said, “Why don’t you take those pants to the dry cleaner and get them water proofed?” Good question. This was not my first time wearing the swooshy pants in the rain so it wasn’t a big surprise that they were soaked.  I knew they had a problem but I just didn’t take the time to solve the problem.

6.       Take the time to be with people. Barry was an experienced cyclist who was well prepared for the weather, the terrain, and the distance. He could have easily blown by me and I would not have blamed him a bit for doing so. Instead, he slowed his pace to match mine and talked me through those rough 7 miles. He did the perfect mix of teaching and then asking me questions about myself to keep me engaged in the conversation. At that point, it was crucial that I stay in the conversation and not in my head because in my head, I was ready to quit.

7.       You don’t have to show that you are the best to be great. When riding in a wind, cyclists will ride in a line with their wheels very close together called a paceline. The rider at the front breaks the force of the wind for the riders that follow. It is cycling etiquette for riders to take turns at the lead, “pulling” the line behind them. The strongest cyclists typically spend the most time pulling. Barry pulled me for most of those last 7 miles. As we made our final turn and could see the finish, it just so happened that I was at the front of the line, briefly pulling Barry. To those waiting at the finish, it would look like I was bringing Barry into the park instead of the other way around. If he had shot around me in a burst of speed, I would have completely understood, but he didn’t. He not only gave me the pride of finishing the event, he allowed me a little dignity as well by humbling himself.

I am taking to heart the lessons learned from Barry. I took my swooshy pants to the dry cleaner yesterday and I plan on spending this afternoon riding up and down the biggest hill in Tiffin to practice my technique. I am also working on seeing people where they are and matching my pace to help them.

 

Do angels just fly on wings or do they sometimes ride a bicycle? Hmmm …I wonder?

Revelation Day - Part I

Yesterday (Saturday April 21, 2012) was such an amazing day and I became aware of and leanred so much that I am going to split this day into several parts.

As a Saturday, yesterday was the end of my training week. I needed 35 miles to achieve my goal of 180 miles for the week but the miles were not the greatest struggle, it was the loneliness. I would describe myself as an introvert masquerading as an extrovert so usually a long bike ride by myself shows up as a time to reflect and relax, but four to six hour long bike rides 3-4 times in a week was wearing on me.  By Thursday evening, I was so lonely I was actually physically sick to my stomach. I wasn’t saddle sore, I was soul sore. 

 

I think that my physical reaction to the loneliness was because it reminds me of the intense loneliness I experienced seven years ago when I quit drinking and smoking.  All my close friends at that time were my drinking and smoking buddies.  I had to be more committed to a life free of addiction than I was to our friendship and subsequently, the friendships slipped away.  The new friends I made were committed to health and wellness but for the most part, they couldn’t relate to the monumental life change I had just engineered.

 

I think that whenever you set out to do something bigger than your self, like quitting your addictions or riding your bike across America, you will pass through a desert time of loneliness and trial. This difficult and often agonizing period serves to strengthen your commitment and demonstrate to you your own reslove and like all the hardships in our lives, the only way out of the desert is through it.

 

So that was my frame of mind as I set out for Saturday’s bike adventure. The plan was to meet Karen Z in Bellefontaine, OH and ride together in the PoOH Ride (Peak of Ohio Ride to benefit the Simon Kenton Trail). The ride offered routes of 15, 25, or 37 miles of hilly to very hilly terrain. I have virtually no hill experience so this ride was exactly what I needed.

I arrived in Bellefountaine and was immediately greeted by Jim and Jill and the rest of the gang sponsoring the ride. I immediately connected with them and we were laughing and joking together like old friends  by the time Karen arrived ten minutes later.

The weather was cold (39 degrees) and raining with a driving wind. As Karen readied her bike Jill looked at me and said, “That’s a true friend you have there.” Don’t I know it! I told Karen that if she chose not to ride in the miserable conditions, I would completely understand. Her reply was “I want to do this.”

I was committed to riding the 37 miles for maximum hill experience. Karen and I slogged along for about 5 miles and then the 15 mile route split off and Karen took that to head back to the cars. It took me about 3 hours to finish the rest of the route and Karen waited on me in her car that whole time. I was deeply moved when I pulled into the park and saw her there. She saw how cold I was and immediately started to help me rack my bike and stow my gear. It felt great to have someone there to fuss and care for me.

By the time I had completed 30 miles of the route, I was pretty much done physically and emotionally. The hills had been an extreme physical challenge and I just didn’t have much left in my legs. The unrelenting cold and rain had worn on my emotions and I just didn’t know how I was going to finish the last 7 miles. Just then a cyclist came out of no where and pulled up beside me. He was obviously very experienced and having no particular trouble with the weather or terrain. He could have easily blown by me but he slowed to my pace and started to chat. His name was Barry and he spent the next 7 miles teaching me a wealth of information about cycling in hills as well as asking me questions about myself and my trip. We were soon pulling into the park and I couldn’t believe how this angel Barry had carried me along those last seven miles.

Later Saturday evening when Dennis and I went to Mass, my heart was filled with gratitude for the people in my life. I had been shown so much kindness and genuine goodness by Karen, Jim, Jill, Barry, and of course Dennis, that my heart felt like popcorn about to burst with joy and turn inside out.

What a strange and wonderful journey this is. I went from desert loneliness to mountain top joy all in the same week. I have no doubt I will experience this same swing in the terrain again over the next several months but now I will hold to the promise of the mountain top as I plod through the desert. Every great, good goal requires the desert as part of its price but it also gives the mountain tops as a taste of the prize.

The Best Laid Plans...

Friday was sunny and warm with virtually no wind. What a relief! The plan for the day called for 10-20 easy miles. Since the plan for Saturday was to do 62 miles in the hills around Manfield, I decided that 10 miles would be a plenty. Note: If you are bicycle training in Ohio in the spring and you get a warm day with no wind, ride big miles no matter what the plan is for the next day because...

Saturday dawned with a forecast of 15-20 mph winds and rain with scattered thunder storms. Four different people had said they would ride with me Saturday and I was euphoric with the thought of a group of people to ride with and the first organized ride of the season. With the weather forecast came the texts and emails of my friends cancelling and I was back to riding by myself.

I am uncomfortable riding hills and the thought of riding hills in the severe weather by myself did not feel very safe. Dennis offered to go with me as my own personal SAG crew (very sweet of him!) but it still didn't feel right. I made the decision to just ride the Northcoast Trail from Fremont to Elmore back and forth until I had the mileage for the day. Although I really need the hill experience, I made the decision to place safety first.

Because I had only done 10 miles on Friday, I needed to do 58 miles to make my goal for the week. I was only a few miles down the trail when the cold, driving rain came. I went in and out of the showers the rest of the day. I didn't get the climbing practice I wanted but I did learn some very important information:

1. My gear is water-resistant, not water-proof. Big difference!

2. The granny gear is not just for climbing, it can be very effective against the wind as well.

3. Talk out loud to yourself with encouraging words to give yourself a boost.

4. As previously mentioned...Make hay while the sun shines! When conditions are right, go for it. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can ride today!

I will say this, I am not sure that there is ANYTHING as sensual as stepping into a warm shower after 58 miles in a cold, windy rain! I wanted to hug our hot water heater or at least give it a massage of gratitude!

The goal for this week is 180 miles so I better go get busy.

Sunny but Blue

Yesterday I rode 62 miles in a mix of roads and the Northcoast Trail. The weather was sunny  and relatively warm with a light breeze of 5-8 mph. This was my longest ride to date for this season and I was grateful that the weather and my schedule conspired to give me a great opportunity on the bike. And yet...

And yet I was a grumpy Gus for most of the day! I was lonely and it seemed like the miles were just creeping by. My litany of thoughts went something like this:

"I have so many miles to do today, I'll never get back to the car!"

"My butt hurts. My toes ache. My shoulders are tired."

"What makes me think I can ride across America when I can't even ride back to the blessed car!?!"

It took me the better part of 55 miles to remember that all these thoughts were lies. The truth of the situation was that I was on a bicycle on a beautiful sunny day in a country that is safe enough to do such a thing. My belly was full and I knew I had a warm, safe place to sleep that night and the whole reason I was on that bike was to train for a trip across America. Now really...what's to complain about?

Although not the most physically demanding ride, this was a great ride for learning to keep my heart in the game and not wander off inside my head.

Today's plan: 10-20 mile easy ride to contemplate my blessings!

Happy Easter - Peddlin' Down the Bunny Trail

Happy Easter! Another great day today for training in the wind! More on that later.

Last week's goal was 150 miles and I ended up with a total of 153 for the week. I only had to ride 14 miles yesterday to make the weekly goal so I rode 17. Since it was a short distance, I rode at a faster cadence than normal and in a bigger gear. I adjusted the cadence and the gear so that I had a steady burn in my thighs. I wanted to use the ride to practice relaxing and hanging out while experiencing discomfort.

Today's mileage kicks off a new week. This week's total mileage goal is 170 and I got a good start on it today with 35 miles. We had church this morning for Easter and then a family dinner at 2:30 this afternoon so riding time was limted.

I decided to ride the trail in Fremont so I wouldn't have to worry about traffic in the very windy conditions. There was a 17-20 mph headwind with gusts of 30-40 mph so it was another great day to get those thighs burning!

The best way to enjoy cycling into a strong headwind is to just gear down, lower yourself into the drops and just pedal. If you start to think about somewhere else you would rather be...you will suffer! It's easiest to just be where you are and pedal. This is one of the reasons I love cycling, because it's such great practice for just staying in the moment.

The biggest challenge today turned out to be cramps in my left foot. I was wearing my GOBA shorts and they have medium padding so I am wondering if that has something to do with it. I also bought some bananas this afternoon in an effort to curb the cramping. We'll keep an eye on it and see how it does.

I plan to ride in my first bike event of the season on Saturday so that will be a happy break in the training routine. The people, new scenery, and challenge of riding hills will be an oasis of fun!

This Is Just How I Like It!

Yesterday, Linda C wanted to try out her new bike so she suggested we ride together. The plan was for me to ride from my house to hers (13 miles with four significant hills) and then for the two of us to ride from her house to the ice cream stand in Bloomville (18 miles round trip) and then for me to return home.

When I left for Linda's house, it was cool and gray with a light headwind. I had an easier time on the hills than I did Sunday so I am encouraged that my legs are getting a wee bit stronger. Linda and I had a nice ride over to Bloomville on a tiny road that follows Honey Creek.

We sat down at the tables at the ice cream stand for a quick break and almost immediately, we heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. We looked up and the sky was very dark and foreboding so I stuffed my peanut butter sandwich in my face (I looked like a safety yellow colored chipmunk!) and we hopped on the bikes and started booking back to Linda's.

As we left Bloomville, there were some road construction guys and they shook their heads and laughed at us as we rode by. "You're gonna get wet!" one of them called out to me. Turns out...he was right. About two miles later it started to sprinkle and then it progressed to a heavy, cold, big drops of water spring rain storm.

Linda offered to drive me home from her place and I was sorely tempted. Then the thought crossed my mind that this would be a bad habit to start. When conditions deteriorate on my cross country trip, I can't just have someone bail me out and bring me home. When we came to Linda's driveway, I said goodbye and thanked her for being such a trooper and then I pressed for home.

I decided to take a different route home that is 4 miles shorter but puts me on a busy highway for 5 miles. Thankfully, there was a 15-20 mph tailwind as I made my turn left onto the highway. At least the rain was pelting me from the rear and not driving into my face.

There was a part of me that wanted to panic because of the weather conditions and the heavy traffic. I read somewhere that the best way not to panic in a flood is to concentrate on swimming so instead of being nervous about the traffic, I decided to count the cars that passed me. It was an extremely helpful technique and I am going to remember this for the future.

I was sublimely happy to make the left turn into our driveway. I can't remember the last time I was that cold. My feet were still burning last night when I went to bed!

It actually was a great training day and really served to help build confidence and grit. Total mileage on the day was 39. Thanks again Linda C for your company and support!

The Company We Keep

My friend Linda C texted me Saturday afternoon and offered to ride with me on Sunday. I shared with her that I would be riding 50 miles and the weather was calling for possible thunder storms. She said she was up to the challenge and so we left for the 50 mile ride from her house to Riverbend Park in Findlay about 10 am Sunday morning.

As you know, it's been a bit of a challenging week on the training rides due to the chilly temperatures, gray skies, and brisk wind. I certainly wasn't looking forward to slogging out another four hours in those conditions by myself on Sunday so Linda's offer to ride along was like a ray of sunshine!

And it turned out to be just that...rays of sunshine. We started out in the cold and gray and each hour the skies cleared, the temperature warmed and the breeze turned in our favor. Riding with Linda made the time whiz by and it was great good fun.

We talked about everything from cycling technique to the importance of matching underwear. It is amazing how energizing it is to throw your head back and laugh with your friends. If Linda had given me the gift of a thousand dollars, it would not have meant more to me than her willingness to come along and help break up the monotony of the long ride.

Today was a rest day on the training schedule and Linda had the day off from work, so what did we do? We went bicycle shopping! Linda has been looking for the right bike for her for over a year and I believe we found her match this afternoon. Once again I was in timeless enthusiasm in the bike store. Linda kept thanking me for coming with her and I kept thinking "Are you kidding? This is a gift to me!"

We plan to test out that new bike tomorrow as we take it on a spin to the ice cream shop in Bloomville (You have to love a sport that consistently has ice cream shops as a destination!)

Planning for Joy

I am in the habit of making a weekly plan. My friends like to tease me about the plan but it is such a stress reducer, I will never give it up. Here's how it works:

I start on Sunday by taking a few quiet moments to think about what I really want to accomplish over the course of the week. Then I write those things down on a page in a cheap spiral notebook. Some things are very specific like "ride 150 miles" and some things are more general like "choose to be Love". If I am working on a project that will take several months to complete, then I will put one or two steps on the list that will move me toward completion.

Then I turn to the next pages in the notebook and write the day of the week at the top as a heading. Now I just fill in the pages with what needs to be done each day to achieve my intentions for the week as well as the regular stuff that just needs done that day.

On Monday, I leave the notebook on my kitchen table open to the page for Monday. I glance at it throughout the day to make sure that I am engaged in what moves me forward and not side tracked by activities that just keep me busy.

This is NOT a "to do list". It is a guide to help you move through the week in a meaningful way. It reduces stress because you aren't just re-acting to what comes at you, you are actively steering toward what you want in life.

Last week's plan called for a total of 120 miles and I needed 13 miles yesterday to make that happen. It was gray, misty, chilly, and breezy so the only thing to do was to get right on it! The new position on the bike (from the new steering stem) and the new seat felt great and I ended up doing 15 miles. It's fun to exceed my own expectations!

This week's plan is for 150 miles so it's time to eat breakfast and get out on the road!

Send me a comment if you have any questions on the planning process or would like more information :-)