Very scared

[Tuckervill]

I take my self and my 13 year old son on cross -country trips quite often. About 3 years ago we started taking our bikes and finding rides to take. Last year we rode 17 miles on a backroad to Cerrillos, NM, where the film Young Guns was made. Other rides were way more remote.

I always have an ENORMOUS amount of anxiety over the trip as it approaches. I mean, I'm taking my CHILD out to the wilds of New Mexico or Oregon or Vermont. Forget what might happen on the ride...what about on the freeway? We're going to Oregon in 4 weeks, and I have a lot of anxiety about the drive from Cheyenne to Salt Lake City. What if we end up in a freak snowstorm? That's what I'm afraid of, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

It seems like a strange thing to be afraid of, but how I cope with it is to plan and prepare. I've been all over every weather website, looking at precipitation averages for almost every town along that stretch. For the bike routes, I've looked at every route, made copies of the route, and even poured over them on Google Earth. I've got a plan for food and things to bring. I wish I still had my diesel Bug, so I could leave it running if we got stuck in the snow--but the Element will have to do. Things can happen on other parts of the trip, too, but I've already planned for those as a matter of course. (I've got my wind-up flashlight!) We had to drive to Ohio through the remains of Hurricane Katrina, and we were fine! Things happen. I prepare, and I don't go until I feel prepared. I use the energy contained in that anxiety to provide energy for my action. (One of my mantras from my poor single mom days was "Anxiety=Action".)

All that to say that one way to handle anxiety is to imagine the worst case scenario from the safety of your living room, and DECIDE IN ADVANCE what you would do about it. Imagine what the results will be if you do fall over going uphill. Instead of just imagining what can happen, imagine what will happen after "the worst" happens. Take it to the next logical step, and the next, until you can focus on the eventual non-threatening outcome.

(Thank you, Dale Carnegie, for that advice which I read when I was just 15. It has served me well. _How to Stop Worrying and Start Living_)

Imagine it, and then try to figure out things you can do--in advance--to prevent the thing that you imagine will happen. Practice clipping in and out. (whatever it is that you feel anxious about) Tell yourself that you know how to clip in and out, and that you're capable of being aware of all factors that will prevent you from unclipping in time, falling into the path of a car, or falling uphill, and are fast-thinking enough to do it in time to prevent a tragedy. Even if you do fall, it's not likely that you will die or anyone else will die, and if you're hurt you will heal, and after you heal you will have a great story to tell.

Yes, anything is possible. But is it probable? Prepare for the probable.

Karen

[Starfish]

(Thank you, Dale Carnegie, for that advice which I read when I was just 15. It has served me well. _How to Stop Worrying and Start Living_)

GREAT book!

[mimitabby]

today was my 4th day of riding with the SPD "clipless" system.

BEFORE the ride it's like a fight. Too cold, too windy, might rain, don't have
time, maybe i should just drive. over and over and over again.
(the weather HAS been a bit iffy, but not horrible)

I have been terribly nervous before EACH ride. (drove DH crazy sunday when we rode the tandem)

I hope this goes away soon!

[Duck on Wheels]

I'm pretty sure men have anxieties too, or at least phobias. I know men who avoid air travel if at all possible, and it's not out of concern for their CO2 "footprint". My own phobia is heights. It's gotten worse over the years rather than better. But it rarely gets in the way of my doing things I enjoy. If I were getting deflected from something I truly would miss doing, like say biking, I'd do something about it. Mine keeps me from hiking some routes, but I'm not in shape for those anyway and there are enough routes I enjoy that don't challenge my fears that I haven't really had to change activities.

There are courses for some phobias (air travel, spiders, ...). I don't know if biking is among them. Most involve simply getting used to the thing bit by bit, and building up positive associations while you're at it.

That was why my suggestion of finding a biking buddy for outings such as to a cafe or park. Wouldn't have to be a serious biker. In fact, maybe preferably just a friend new to biking herself. Last time I confronted my fear of heights was on a hike with DH, DD and DD's SO. They're all great hikers, so they were no help. What helped was running into another lady with a height problem a tad worse than my own, and the two of us offering one another mutual encouragement (including noting that at least part of the problem was the dizzying effect of our progressive lenses).

[mimitabby]

my biking buddy is my DH, but he is not always around. For example, today
he is going to meet me at work and ride with me downtown!!!
He goes out of his way to be here for me, and he knows about the problems i am having. I hope that if i keep riding it will lessen and YES it gets worse as i get older.

[anorange]

Hurray for you Mimi! I think that if I can do it anyone can. I've waffled quite a bit between clipless and not, but something clicked into place (no pun intended) a couple of weeks ago and I feel MUCH more comfortable with the clipless. I've even done a couple of 40 mile rides in them. One thing I do is to unclip the foot I first release with WHENEVER I think there might be a need to have it free. I know I unclip more than most people, but like when I'm coming up to an intersection- why chance it that a car might be coming through and have to unclip at the last minute? It makes me much happier riding with the clipless knowing that I can have one foot free whenever I want. I usually just put my heel on the pedal. THe Specialized shoes I have give me enough grip like this. Sometimes I even pedal for a ways with one foot unclipped. It seems to work for me. I can't see any downside to this. Just take it slow and at your pace- YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[teigyr]

Mimi --

Congrats on the pedals, by the way! If you ever want to meet up to ride, PM me. Right now, I'm off sun-tues and am good to ride on any of those days usually. While I'm good with clipless for the most part, I tend to slow down and unclip on sharp turns, etc. And I've had the same too windy, rainy, cold....debates. I'm in North Seattle but usually end up driving to a bike trail to ride.

Now my hugest fear besides heights? Downhills. Ugh...and I know I need to start working on that.