I guess I'm not a noob, anymore.
In the almost year since I took possession of my Cannondale Synapse (5 Féminine) I have logged over 3300 miles and expect to see 3500 miles (or very close to it) ridden for 2010.
A year ago my bike was primarily intended to be a vehicle for cross-training, since my primary sport for the past 4.5 years was running. Then in June I badly sprained my ankle during a trail relay...and continued out my legs, running nearly 10 more miles, standing around, drinking beer--NOT appropriate treatment for a sprain (adrenaline is a helluva drug).
Needless to say, I really handled that injury poorly and nearly 4.5 months later my left ankle is still not right. I can run, but anything off-road is uncomfortable and I live in fear of a resprain.
My bike helped me keep my sanity during the 5.5 weeks where I could not run at all. And it's allowed me to keep my fitness while I carefully increase my running miles as my ankle allows. And all this saddle time has showed me that I may be a mediocre (at best) runner, but I'm a fairly strong cyclist.
Now I look at running and biking as equal halves in my fitness life. I no longer see one as my "primary" thing. This past year I was able to fit in 1 duathlon and had a blast. In that race my running legs were relatively stronger than my cycling leg, compared to the rest of my age group. I ended up 5/9 in my AG on my first try...including that cycling leg in the pouring rain and high winds--my first ride ever in rain. This year I am shooting for at least 4th place in my AG, perhaps even an AG award. I think I am capable of this with more experience and speed work on the bike.
I'm also feeling now that I've "outgrown" my current ride. My bike is lovely for cruising along comfortably, but we've already flipped my stem and moved 2 of the 4 spacers and I still feel a bit too upright and cramped in the cockpit (in hindsight I should have been on a men's frame, as I have stubby legs and a relatively long torso, but I have small hands, so the short-reach Shimano shifters were a better fit for me).
We're looking to move me to a more aggressive geometry frame in the next few months, with SRAM components, since their shifters all have reach-adjustment. And I'll be going from buzzy aluminum to carbon...at least 3/4 of our roads are wretched chip-seal. Riding on the back of our steel tandem has really shown me how much smoother chip-seal can feel with the right frame. I'm already lusting over the Cdale SuperSix 4 Rival. Sometime between Christmas and my birthday in Feb. I'm hoping to make one mine. :cool:
Someday I'd also like to give cyclocross racing a try, but I need to make sure my ankle is 100%, or close to it, first. That presents a lot of the same risks that running off-road do, unfortunately.
My hubby was right all these years...biking really is awesome fun! :D
