Too Much Biking to Blog!

Its been a long time since I felt like I could justify some blogging time! Sad but true. We are well into our cycling training schedule and I have been spending A LOT of time pedaling all over the Palouse. For instance this week we ride for 96 miles. With our long ride being 40 miles. The training goes up in miles each week. I have really surprised myself with what I can do when I have to and I can tell that I am getting much stronger and faster. I absolutely LOVE my new road bike and would recommend buying a road bike to anyone thinking about serious cycling. They are faster, lighter and they make you feel like Lance Armstrong-even though compared to him I am riding on a tricycle! But hey I can dream, can't I!!

I have my share of funny stories and bumps and bruises. I have had some trouble figuring out my pedals that I clip my bike shoes into.  I have used biking shoes for years in spin class but there is one important difference. Spin bikes don't move!! So I have fallen quite a few times, mostly because I forgot to unclip my foot BEFORE I stopped. It was really funny at first but then  the bruises and blood started showing up. I quickly am learning to be much more careful. At least I have mastered one of my greatest fears, the fear of falling!

 I had to laugh yesterday... I had just finished a long 40 mile ride and was headed to pick up my boys in the car. I stopped at a stop sign and started to un-clip my foot from my brake pedal. There is a good indication on how much I am biking!

My second greatest fear is starting to be mastered.. the fear of riding hills! Hills are not one of my favorite things, but there is nothing so exhilarating than looking ahead and seeing the hill you need to tackle and then making it to the top. I have to do a lot of mind tricks with myself to make it through sometimes. Like counting pedal strokes, looking at the ground instead of the hill, watching the clock on my bike computer and saying to myself.. you can do this for 30 more seconds, okay now 15 seconds more etc.. I also usually have my ipod with some good music that can get me trough and it the worst cases I talk to myself!  It also helps that my riding buddies,who always ride hills faster than me are waiting at the top or on the other side for me. The guilt I would feel if they had to ride back up to find me keeps me pedaling away!


All in all I feel great about my accomplishments and so happy that my good friends encouraged me to take on this challenge. It is the toughest physical challenge I have taken on yet and it feels great!