I must of picked the worst week in the world to start preparing for my TD.
Not only did I pick the worst week, but after owning my rain gear for one year and only using it one time, I had to pull it out and put it all on as the weather was in the low 40's and the rain was coming down in buckets.
Awesome I thought.
Perfect I thought.
If it aint raining it aint training.
5 minutes into the ride, the front brake quit working, awesome.
I felt cold as I pedaled along the route. Google maps had picked it out, and I follow it.
Darkness creeped in.
And it got colder.
But I kept pedaling.
The rain gear was working, but the time was getting late.
As I got closer to home with only 5 miles or less left, I could feel the squish in my front tire. I stopped and had to change a flat in the cold rain and wind.
Perfect.
I fixed the flat, stopped in at Wal mart and bought the food needed to make dinner and pedaled it home.
All my commuting is being done on my Mountain bike btw. This is real training.
I felt weak, and slow, but thats how it was meant to go.
The next morning I got up early and rode into work, after doing all I could to dry my clothes. Another cold morning. My time splits were way off and again I was misreably slow.
I was not happy with the time I was making at all, and 20 miles into the ride I couldnt even feel my toes.
I got to work at 750 am, very late, and rushing to grab my stuff and start my 12 hour shift.
That night I didnt ride to work, I got out so late, that a 3 hour ride would of meant me being home at midnight and as always when I get home I got to prep dinner for my son.
The next day, I drove in, worked and got out early. Early enough to ride in the sun. I was pretty happy about this and even though my legs were sore, I kept pedaling and actually felt good and before I knew it I was zipping along, taking as much sidewalk as I could. To me riding sidewalks may not be safe, but it simulates off road riding more then perfectly smooth roads.
On the bike path I was consuming riders and walkers and joggers and then along comes a slightly overweight 50 something that passes me on her trek road bike. I chased her down, caught her and passed her and tried to put her away.
She came back on the uphill and caught me again.
Ok I thought. Damn I though.
This time I sat on her wheel for a bit, and then really put in an attack, and passed her again. And then after a couple of minutes she caught me again right before an intersection, she stopped for a car I kept going. Being honorable I did not feel this was a fair pass, and I let her regain her spot and she did. I stayed about 5 bikes back, catching my breath and decided that I needed to put this Older, out of shape, but fit rider away. I put in the biggest attack yet and when I passed her, she cheered me on, as if mocking me. I really put my head down, really dug into the freddies, and then when I least expected it, she passed me and finished me off. Insult to injury I got smoked by a fat fit person. My ego was crushed and I was humbled.
I spent the rest of the ride telling myself that she was on a road bike, and that I still rode 20 more miles after getting my butt kicked and even settled that on the excuse that God took flesh form to humble me that afternoon, but the truth was, I got my butt kicked on my bike path by an older, chubby lady on a road bike...
The next morning I rode in as planned, took that evening off and then rode in the next day ending the week strong, but tired and feeling sore. I had no intentions of pedaling that weekend.
Its difficult to not criticize yourself when your just starting your training, but I had not been satisfied at all with my splits, and the earliest I made it to work, even after battling flats again, on one of the mornings was 746am. I had to either pick up the pace, or get up even earlier then 430am. None of which seemed realistic at the time to me, LOL.
O well, week one is in the books so to speak....2 flats, Front brake out.
Take Care,
Laters,
The NaKeD InDiaN
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