I know I am just now getting to posting about the ride I went on... I am not dead, thankfully! I'm sure you may have been wondering though since I said I was going to post right after. I was unable to because I have been dealing with a bit of heartbreak over the last few days... All because I went on the bike ride.
However, that is not what this post is about. You don't want to know about my personal life right?... ;)
Anyways, I got to get up at the break of dawn for this adventure. To make matters even better, I had a decaf coffee that kept me up most of the night. It was either that or being super nervous and excited. It could've also been both... Either way, I ended up being up most of the night and from about 4am until 6am I was waking up every half hour or so...
I met Tita at 7am in the Fred Meyer's parking lot. We got our bikes on her vehicle and headed off toward Carol's cabin. We arrived there about an hour and a 1/2 later.
When we got there Carol got me a pair of bike shorts, a jacket and clip on bike shoes. I reminded her I had never worn bike shoes but I decided to give it a shot. It was nerve-wracking learning how to clip in and out but I eventually got the hang of it. And then we headed out at a nice leisurely pace.
We started climbing gradually and slowly. I was actually beginning to get a little bored, a few of the others had moved ahead so I sped up to catch them.
I caught up to a guy named Kale and rode with him until we met up at our first "sag wagon" stop. We waited for the others to catch up before we headed back out again. It always hurts right when I start off, especially when I try going at a decently fast pace right from the beginning.
Eventually I broke off to catch up with the guys in the front again. Before long Carol was right on my tail.
We made the first 20 some miles without incident until the stop sign that would lead us toward Ashford. I had unclipped one shoe and had come to a complete stop, then I leaned over just a little to pull out my other foot. I leaned too much...Suddenly I was falling, I couldn't do anything about it and everyone was in the back and likely watching. It was great... I found myself on the pavement and swiftly pulled myself back up. Talk about total embarressment...
We arrived to our destination. I have forgotten how long it took us to get there. We stopped for lunch. I was still worried about pulling out another 30 miles so I didn't eat much. We took a ton of pics, talked a lot and then headed back for the last 30 miles.
At this point, I was beginning to feel a bit tired. But usually when that happens I try to push myself harder. In which I did, the first 10 to 15 miles were all going gradually upward and thus were not particularly enjoyable. I kept up with two of the faster male cyclists. Then the downhill came...
There is nothing comparable to the feeling of flying down a mountain at 30+ mph with the wind hitting you in the face and watching the world fly by!
I kept up with the two guys most of the way, but eventually they slipped ahead. They waited for me at one point. I caught up and then they flew ahead again. I found them waiting at the bottom of the hill near the first stop sign we had arrived to early that morning.
When I reached the two guys, one of them stated, "If you keep riding in a year, which you should, you are going to be really good!"
The day ended with a bbq at Carol's house.
It was such a lovely adventure. Incredible views, amazing people, delicious food, nice weather and such a fun time!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
60 Mile Bike Ride
I love my new baby! (The roadbike, not the car...)
This is currently the only biking clothes I own... A jersey that Doug gave me, sunglasses & bike gloves from "Big 5", a helmet, a pair of arm-leggings that I just bought from a cycling store downtown ($35) and cliff gel shots that I just bought at another cycling store on the other end of town...Let me just say outloud, bike gear, bikes and anything to do with cycling is EXPENSIVE...
I finally invested in a sweet ride. My very first road bike and it is a good one! I love how light it is and how perfectly it seems to match my body. Perfect size, perfect height and so easy to move!
On a totally different note...
Am I completely insane for choosing to go on a 60 mile bike ride uphill with Carol?! The answer is yes... YES YES YES...!
What was I thinking!?!
Well looks like I am jumping in with both feet and pretty much cannot pull out now...
Please God, don't let me die!!!!!
Ok, I think I'm done complaining and I'm going to try to stop freaking out, but seriously, what was I thinking?! Thus far the longest ride I've been on is 50 miles and that was going at a nice leisurely pace... Carol tried to tell me that I'll be fine and I'm in shape enough to do the ride. She also told me that she was not fully in biking shape either... At the time, these were encouraging words. Then I remembered that she has been still pulling out miles everyday as the spinning instructor at a much faster pace than I, as well as working out intensely everyday. Just last week she was hiking in Utah, the Grand Canyon and all over the place where the temperature is much higher than it is here. She also has all the supplies and tools she needs for riding; bike shorts, bike shoes, winter clothing and what not. Where as, I do not have any of it... She is planning to let me try a pair of her bike shorts, which are likely going to not fit my ass... She is quite a bit smaller. She also is going to lend me a pair of biking shoes, which I have never tried wearing at this point...Crap, crap, CRAP!
This is currently the only biking clothes I own... A jersey that Doug gave me, sunglasses & bike gloves from "Big 5", a helmet, a pair of arm-leggings that I just bought from a cycling store downtown ($35) and cliff gel shots that I just bought at another cycling store on the other end of town...Let me just say outloud, bike gear, bikes and anything to do with cycling is EXPENSIVE... I am honestly super scared about tomorrow.
I'm going to be up at the break of dawn, which means I probably wont get any sleep tonight...And then I am going to be carpooling with another cyclist to "Packwood" where we will begin our adventure. Not only is it a 60 mile ride, but it's uphill...Good god! What have I gotten myself into?!
I know I am probably being overly nervous. I'll probably be fine. Most likely in a lot of pain during the ride and struggling to keep up, but I should still be alive to tell the tale after it is all over...Hopefully. I just don't want to be the one slowing everyone down. I don't mind being in the spotlight except when I'm put into an embarrassing situation. At that point, I would rather be dead. Okay, deep breaths, I can do this...
However, to add to my nervousness...At the second bike shop I visited today. I saw my longtime coach, Norm. We talked a bit and I told him about the ride. He asked who I was going with. He didn't seem to know who Carol was, but a worker in the shop stated off-handedly, "Carol's a fast rider..."
Way to freak me out buddy! I already know this information of course, but I really don't need to be reminded...
Now if only I can get my heart to stop beating sporadically from nervousness or possibly the decaf coffee I drank...(Since that'd totally make my heart beat like this right?!) Ugh...
Well if I make it out of the ride alive, I'll blog about it.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"There are really just two types of people; those who say I CAN'T & those who say I CAN." -John Tesh
Lately, I've been hearing really encouraging words from people all around me. We aren't always fortunate to have so many inspiring words surrounding us. I know that to be very true from past experiences, as a gymnast I always had coaches, team mates, class mates & so many random people telling me what I could and couldn't do. And more often it seemed, I was told what I could not do.
At 10 years old, I had some teammates ask me what my dream was. Naturally, it was to become an Olympic gymnast. They scoffed at me, telling me I was too old. At 10 years of age, I was already being told that I was too old... Harsh words at such a tender time in one's life. On my twelth birthday, I cried. I cried because I knew I was too old to ever become an Olympic gymnast and if I couldn't be an Olympic gymnast, I didn't want to become anything. Without gymnastics I thought I had nothing.
Gymnastics is a funny sport. The head honcho of women's gymnastics, Martha Karolyi, has more or less chosen out her gymnast's for the Olympic team by the time they are 12 years old. A gymnast may get to be a part of what's called the "TOPS" program. However, you cannot be in that program beyond the age of 11 or 12. This program, more or less, is the determining factor of which gymnast will have a shot at the Olympics. During the 2004 Olympic games, more than half of the girls on the women's Olympic team had been in TOPS as children. There were 3 who had not been in the program; one had already been an elite before the program had started, one was from another country and there was only one who did not have a legitimate excuse, other than the fact that she went elite at 12 years of age...Thus, I had good reason to believe that my dream was no longer in reach. At 12 years old, I had already seen a dream fall out of my grasp. Not many girls my age had such an experience and realizing it was too late to capture that dream taught me many harsh lessons. I grew up extremely fast because of gymnastics.
The sport itself is unbelievably addictive. Any hardcore competitive gymnast will say similar things about the sport. Statements such as, "I could never get enough," "I wanted to train every single day," & '"if I don't do well here (in competition), the world is over."'[1] It's a brutal sport on the mind, body and spirit. It is a beautiful gift and likewise, a terrible burden.
Even after being out of the gym, I find it sometimes difficult to remind myself that I'm really not all that old. I'm still a young-un. I still struggle with eating disorder(s) that are leftover from the judgements from people inside the gymnastics arena. I had coaches who "suggested" weight loss and "encouraged" it. In the gym, I was always "fat", even at my thinnest. Outside of the gym, I am quite average. It's still hard to remember that I am healthy and in good shape because in the gymnastics arena, I was never fit or ever "good enough".
I have started surrounding myself with content and positive people who only say "can". I haven't heard the word "can't" for a long time. The word itself isn't something that I should avoid. After-all, some of the most successful people were the ones that were told "can't" over and over again.
As seen in this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Y8om2kBic&list=PL16B9BE65D6E73B31
But it's something that hurts me when I hear it. Sometimes it breaks me down and sometimes, it makes me stronger. At this point in time, I don't mind not having to hear negativity from disbelievers. I am just as motivated by believers, especially being in a new field of sport(s).
So this was a randomized blog, but thought I should post something and this at least gives you an idea of where I'm coming from. :)
Lately, I've been hearing really encouraging words from people all around me. We aren't always fortunate to have so many inspiring words surrounding us. I know that to be very true from past experiences, as a gymnast I always had coaches, team mates, class mates & so many random people telling me what I could and couldn't do. And more often it seemed, I was told what I could not do.
At 10 years old, I had some teammates ask me what my dream was. Naturally, it was to become an Olympic gymnast. They scoffed at me, telling me I was too old. At 10 years of age, I was already being told that I was too old... Harsh words at such a tender time in one's life. On my twelth birthday, I cried. I cried because I knew I was too old to ever become an Olympic gymnast and if I couldn't be an Olympic gymnast, I didn't want to become anything. Without gymnastics I thought I had nothing.
Gymnastics is a funny sport. The head honcho of women's gymnastics, Martha Karolyi, has more or less chosen out her gymnast's for the Olympic team by the time they are 12 years old. A gymnast may get to be a part of what's called the "TOPS" program. However, you cannot be in that program beyond the age of 11 or 12. This program, more or less, is the determining factor of which gymnast will have a shot at the Olympics. During the 2004 Olympic games, more than half of the girls on the women's Olympic team had been in TOPS as children. There were 3 who had not been in the program; one had already been an elite before the program had started, one was from another country and there was only one who did not have a legitimate excuse, other than the fact that she went elite at 12 years of age...Thus, I had good reason to believe that my dream was no longer in reach. At 12 years old, I had already seen a dream fall out of my grasp. Not many girls my age had such an experience and realizing it was too late to capture that dream taught me many harsh lessons. I grew up extremely fast because of gymnastics.
The sport itself is unbelievably addictive. Any hardcore competitive gymnast will say similar things about the sport. Statements such as, "I could never get enough," "I wanted to train every single day," & '"if I don't do well here (in competition), the world is over."'[1] It's a brutal sport on the mind, body and spirit. It is a beautiful gift and likewise, a terrible burden.
Even after being out of the gym, I find it sometimes difficult to remind myself that I'm really not all that old. I'm still a young-un. I still struggle with eating disorder(s) that are leftover from the judgements from people inside the gymnastics arena. I had coaches who "suggested" weight loss and "encouraged" it. In the gym, I was always "fat", even at my thinnest. Outside of the gym, I am quite average. It's still hard to remember that I am healthy and in good shape because in the gymnastics arena, I was never fit or ever "good enough".
I have started surrounding myself with content and positive people who only say "can". I haven't heard the word "can't" for a long time. The word itself isn't something that I should avoid. After-all, some of the most successful people were the ones that were told "can't" over and over again.
As seen in this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Y8om2kBic&list=PL16B9BE65D6E73B31
But it's something that hurts me when I hear it. Sometimes it breaks me down and sometimes, it makes me stronger. At this point in time, I don't mind not having to hear negativity from disbelievers. I am just as motivated by believers, especially being in a new field of sport(s).
So this was a randomized blog, but thought I should post something and this at least gives you an idea of where I'm coming from. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
First Post
Sorry I have not posted yet at all!
I have been planning to multiple times.
I've been having so many great adventures but I am lacking in time...I have like zero time for anything, currently.
I have been having so much fun training in all sorts of sports. Mostly Tri training, a bit of tough mudders conditioning and some hot yoga.
I am feeling good!
Yet I am frusterated that this is the first post and I don't want to spend much time on it... :/
I did want to update to say that I am planning on registering for my first ever triathlon!
It's a short one. It's the sprint Tri in E-burg that's happening later in July.
I am so motivated to start getting into some races!
I want to see what my body can do.
It's been impressing me these past fews weeks and I want to see how far I can push it... Without killing myself. ;)
Find me on dailymile.com
And while your at it, join me and start your own training logs!:)
I have been planning to multiple times.
I've been having so many great adventures but I am lacking in time...I have like zero time for anything, currently.
I have been having so much fun training in all sorts of sports. Mostly Tri training, a bit of tough mudders conditioning and some hot yoga.
I am feeling good!
Yet I am frusterated that this is the first post and I don't want to spend much time on it... :/
I did want to update to say that I am planning on registering for my first ever triathlon!
It's a short one. It's the sprint Tri in E-burg that's happening later in July.
I am so motivated to start getting into some races!
I want to see what my body can do.
It's been impressing me these past fews weeks and I want to see how far I can push it... Without killing myself. ;)
Find me on dailymile.com
And while your at it, join me and start your own training logs!:)
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