I DID IT! Thanks to you!

[Running Mommy]

Just wanted to let you all know that thanks to you I conquered my fear and rode that long shoulder-less stretch at the bottom of the hill. And I LIVED to tell the story!
So here's a quick ride report- I'll also throw in my workout log for the week for those of you following my Iron journey.
Yesterday I tried going out in the cold and I just couldn't do it. Today I waited til it warmed up a bit and took off about 11:00 am. I was only doing a three hour ride so time was on my side. I passed my hubby and son out jogging just as I was taking the turn to head down the hill. My husband was pretty concerned and really didn't want me to go down there so he gave me a stern "BE CAREFUL".
So off I head... wheeee downhill for the first mile! I SO wanted to tuck down into my aerobars and fly, but one thing I took from you girls was to BE VISIBLE. So I stayed on my hoods and took command of the road as if it was mine.
I made it to the bottom and took the turn down the long road to nowhere. When I drove it the other day I noticed that the first 6 miles were going to be really crummy road surface and BOY HOWDY! I was wishing I was on my mtn rig for that stretch! A few people passed me, I gave them waves when they gave me alot of room. It was all good. This section is also a bit hilly so I got in my middle ring and spun away...
I then hit the cattle guards. Now I REALLY REALLY don't want to hurt my chances of toeing the line in April so I opted to walk the bike over them. I then decided to shed some outer layers. It was about this time that nice triathlete man came by. He asked if I was ok, how far I was riding, if I was a triathlete (a-bars give me away every time) and what I was training for. I told him IM AZ and he was like "cool! me too!". He then said "well lets go".. I took one look at his quads and said ! "uh, thats ok.. you go! I can tell just by looking at your quads that your WAY faster than me!". He was really nice and said "are you sure??!!" I said "oh yeah" so he took off. And yes he was out of sight w/in a mile!
I rode down another side road and decided that I'd add it to my route as it was nice and quiet as well. Only one car the entire 5 mile stretch!
SO I turned and headed back, I was FLYING coming back and realized it must have been a false grade going out. I was wondering why I seemed to be going so slow on the flats! HA!
So I hit the cattle guard again and back on to the rough stretch of road. UGH! I think this side was WORSE than the other side. I swear I thought my fillings in my teeth were going to rattle loose! All I could think of is " I wonder if this is how the pavement is in places that it snows?". It was AWFUL! I felt like the pavement was reaching out and taking hold of my tires. Can you say "rolling resistance"... HA HA HA
So then I made the turn and headed back up the hill. Once again I had to take command of the lane. I had some lady go off in the median and drive through the rocks to get her oversized SUV around me. It was rather amusing. Like slowing down for a few seconds would have KILLED her! Then I had a van come up behind me right as I was cresting the hill and getting my bike lane back. I heard a "Hi MRS. AMOS" from a little girl in the van. It was someone in my sons class. She was soo cute. Made me smile. I threw her a wave and a smile right back.
Ended up riding 44.7 miles in three hours. This was my step back week so it was an easy day. Also ran 3 miles off the bike in 34:46. SLOOWW! But thats ok! Ironman is about conserving your resources!
So here is what the rest of my week looked like:

Monday: 60 min swim/ 3 mile run, hilly course 32:23

Tuesday: 1 hour ride 15 miles, 30 min. strength training/stretching

Wednesday: 13 mile run 2:35

Thursday: 2 hour ride 29 miles, 1:15 in the pool- 2500 mtr.
Fri- off
Sat: PUTZED on ride! only did :47 min ride- 11 miles
Sun: 44.7 mile ride 3:00, 3 mile run brick 34:46

[Nanci]

Sounds like a fun ride! Maybe you would match up better with Nice Triathlete Man if you could draft on him. (Works for me keeping up with BF at speeds I couldn't do otherwise.) At least it's nice to know there's another person out there training for the same event.

Glad I don't have to deal with cattle guards, though here in Florida they _really_ like those stop bars- there are, no exaggeration, up to ten or more sets of six bars before rural stop signs, and the bars go all the way out to the shoulder, so you can't creep past on the white line, and the only option if you don't want to rattle all your teeth loose, not to mention rocket launch anything not duct taped down, is to go over into the oncoming lane...

My new Cateye 10 LED tail light has taken about four flights now (and survived- one tough light!) And I've done everything to prevent it from ejecting, including rubberbanding it down. Yesterday I had it rubberbanded to the mount on the back of the rack, and when I went over a stop bar set, the _mount_ broke! So now the sucker is taped down and never going to move...

Congratulations, and hopefully you will get attached to long distance riding like I have now that you have so many new miles to explore!

Nanci

[Lise]

YAY! Keep the reports coming--I love to read them. Almost makes me feel like I'm training myself!

Thought you'd like to see this; it's a spin-a-thon to raise money for ALS in honor of "Blazeman":
http://home.comcast.net/~banjodoggy/spinforals.html

Keep on tri-ing!!!

Lise

[Running Mommy]

Thats really cool. I've been wondering how he's doing. It just STINKS that we haven't gone any further in medical research to cure or even TREAT ALS!

[Blueberry]

Good for you for getting out there. I do ride quite a bit alone, and even now I always get the "what if's" on the way out the door. My theory is that you just have to go live your life.

Once I'm on the road, I'm always glad to be out there.

Cattle Guard on the road? What's that? (coming from someone who has always lived in NC...)

[Nanci]

Is Blazeman that guy who wanted to do IM Kona before the disease overtook him? I heard him interviewed on a podcast, if that's who I'm thinking of.

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

Yeah Blazeman is Jon (john?) Blais. He's from MA I think. He goes by the moniker "ALS warrior poet". Ironically enough I just read a blurb in Triathlete mag about him today. I guess the NBC film crew told him he wasn't going to make the bike cut off so he reached into his special needs bag and through a hunk of banana bread at the guy. And for the record.. he made the cut off w/ time to spare!
I need to pick a charity to raise money for in my IM. I think I may just run for ALS. My friends brother has MS and my neighbors daughter has cerebral palsy, so I was thinking about those charitys as well. I think I may raise money for all three?? I usually send a letter to my family/friends and ask for a donation w/ a self addressed stamped envelope. Maybe I'll give them the option and just stamp the envelope. hmmm...
Oh- and CA... A cattleguard is a big grate like thing in the pavement that prevents the cows from leaving an area. See the link below...

http://www.ajgcs.com/id2.html

[CorsairMac]

WOOOHOOOO RM!! I Knew you could do it! and each time you ride it will just get better and better! As for the cattle guard?? just pick a straight line and ride it. We've got them all over the back roads here in NM. I was "terrified" the first time I came to one!!! I was riding with my ex-racer buddy and bless his heart he planted himself in front of me and told me to just follow his line! after about the 4th cattle guard I was able to ride it all by myself. I Still don't like them, but at least I can ride them!

(stay off them if it's the least bit wet tho, they get slicker than - well You know - when they're wet)

[MomOnBike]

they get slicker than - well You know

Snot on a doornob?

For those who are mystified, cattle guards are basically pits or ditches dug across the road, with a series of rails, (old railroad rails, or pipe, or, um 'most anything that will hold up a tractor) across it. Cattle won't cross, horses sometimes get stuck in 'me, and you can drive, or ride across with a minimum of inconvienence. MUCH easier than a gate.

Ah, the memories...

[mtkitchn]

Wow, I love to hear stories of people moving outside their comfort zones and succeeding! Gives me inspiration!

[Lise]

just pick a straight line and ride it.

I feel the same way about railroad tracks and bridges here in Chicago. I am always, always sure that I'm going to catch an edge with my tire and go down. I try to aim straight and be brave, just ride it. Can't comment on the cattle guards, but they seem similar to some of the bridges over the Chicago River. L.