A Runner with True Grit

Even though I'm a cyclist now, I still run Thursday mornings at 6am with my old Team in Training run team crowd. Last Thursday was a "dark and stormy" morning, and as I drove to Campbell Park I was secretly hoping the run would be called off and I could go to the nice, warm YMCA to work out.

But, waiting for me in the dark and empty parking lot was good old Steve, my running partner of five years. He was the only one to come out in those conditions. I greeted him with a friendly "I didn't think you were so stupid as to come out on a morning like this". We didn't stand around long as standing in the rain is even dumber than running in the rain, so we took off into the darkness.

What followed was a great one-hour run in the steady rain. It was filled with great conversation about anything and everything -- music, news, parents, kids, ... I felt great the rest of the day.

Even though I'm a cyclist, I have to respect runners like Steve. We cancelled a bike ride because the roads were wet (not raining), and yet runners don't let the elements stop them. True grit.

Must Control Testosterone

Last Saturday, we rode our 12-mile Time Trial course again. Unlike the previous week's wet conditions, the weather was awesome this time! Spring is here?

Since I was familiar with the course and the conditions were perfect, I decided to push things a bit. It didn't help my restraint to be surrounded by so much spandex and carbon fiber! I know this will come as a shock, but with men, sometimes (adrenaline + testosterone > good sense).

I rode strong throughout the whole course. I'm getting pretty comfortable with my bike now. The finish was a long gradual climb up Alpine Road, finishing in front of the Alpine Inn (that's Zot's to the locals). When I was 100 yards from the finish, within sight of the cheering support crew, striving to finish strong, something went haywire in my leg! It was the most excruciating cramp in my right calf -- I couldn't pedal with that leg at all. Upon further research, I suffered a pulled muscle, or "muscle strain" as it appears in the literature. It must have looked comical, after riding so strong, so slow to almost a crawl and limp across the finish line. But limping is what I did, and then hastily dismounted my bike.

It didn't hurt bad afterwards, but I have a big fat knot in my calf. I had Susan wrap it up with an Ace bandage so I felt like a real jock. The compression of the bandage was amazingly helpful. Today, things feel pretty OK, so I'll be back on my bike for a test ride soon.

Initiation of a Fair-Weather Rider

Last Saturday we had our "time trial" ride. Our coach told us

This ride will determine your ride groups for the season. This is NOT a time trial like they ride in the Tour De France. So leave your skinsuits, aero bars and disc wheels at home. This 12 mile ride has some rollers, a short hill on Sand Hill and a rather long uphill on Alpine.

We were fortunate that it wasn't raining Saturday morning, even though it rained all the rest of the weekend. But, because the roads were very wet, with lots of debris on the roads, our team cancelled the formal ride. How wimpy, I thought! We were allowed to ride the course on our own and submit a time to give the coaches an idea of how fast we ride. I was definitely ready for a ride, so off I went.

The course was familiar from a ride that I rode with my son and his friends last summer. Riding through a wet course was a new experience for me, though. The sound of the tires zipping over the wet roads, and the grit and dirt that gets kicked up all over your bike and yourself made me feel like a real biker! However, this area is real cycling country, with lots of elite cyclists riding these roads. So, when I was repeatedly passed like I was standing still, it put me back in my place.

It was a successful ride -- I put my miles in, and learned more about my bike and riding in less than fair conditions.

Allez!

Mass Socialization

Yesterday I rode in our first Team ride, from a park in Los Altos. There were a lot of new faces there: coaches, mentors, and participants. I met lots of new people, and thoroughly enjoyed riding with them. The big challenge will be remembering all the new names! One crutch I can use is our TNT web site, which has some pictures to go along with everyones' names.

As I had hoped, I'm already learning a lot on the cycle team. We went over hand and verbal signals that cyclists use to keep each other safe while riding in a line. I found that it's hard to use the hand signal "Stop!" on a bike, since you usually need two hands to brake! But I practiced that, along with much-needed practice clipping in and out of my bike pedals.

It was cold! I need to learn more about how to deal with the elements. I was pretty well covered up, but my toes went numb. I noticed that some riders use special "booties" for cold weather and will look into those.

We had a tire-changing clinic after the ride, and the coaches and mentors were really kind in walking me through "best practices" and sharing tips on dealing with inevitable flat tires out on the road.

Finally, we had bagels, coffee, and a panel to get to know our Honorees. Honorees are cancer patients who volunteer with the Team to share their stories and inspire participants to ride and fundraise hard! We had nine honorees speaking, and they ranged in aged from 11-50+ years old! Yes, that's right, we have an 11-year-old cancer patient in our program, and he rides with us! He's ridden up to 40 miles before. An impressive and cute kid.

It was a well-rounded and enjoyable day. I like it!

First Ride Butterflies

This morning I'm off to our first Team ride, in Los Altos. I didn't sleep at all well last night, and it wasn't just because of the wine I drank. I'm nervous and excited about my first organized bike ride, and I kept tossing and turning as I worried about oversleeping or forgetting some vital equipment. It's not good to be tired before the ride even begins! Better take a nap this afternoon. One of the things I'm looking forward to learning is "what to wear". Up to now, I've been a fair-weather cyclist. But this morning, it's 33F outside. Aye-yah, that's cold! I'm just throwing a whole bunch of clothes in my bag and will try to figure out the layering by watching what the experienced cyclists wear. Well, time to go. Allez!