I learned I like to sprint!

[Jiffer]

So, in my short career as a road bike "cyclist", I have learned that I like to sprint! And this is great cause I look so good doing it and it makes me feel like a real cyclist person! It's a whole 'nother story when I'm plugging away to get up a hill. Sometimes I'll sprint to get a good start, but it's not long before the big show is over and my lack of fitness begins to show.

I look pretty good going down hill too. I like those too. I thought I'd be more afraid of the downhills on my single. It took time to get used to the high speed DH gets us to on the tandem (over 40) and I just didn't know what it would be like when I was doing those same hills on my single. Of course I won't go nearly as fast as he does on his single or we go on the tandem, but I got up to 28 today and felt pretty comfortable doing it. I'm pretty cautious, so I won't go faster than I feel confident doing. I've heard too many stories!

I'm so excited that I'm already beginning to feel stronger. I made DH go on a "recovery ride" after his 10,400 ft elevation Century today that he smoked. I was attempting to keep it a slow pace for even me, which would be REALLY slow for him. But I kept finding myself sprinting here and there and he said he can't go on any more rides with me after a century cause I make him look bad!

[Tri Girl]

Nice job smoking your DH today (pretending I didn't read that he did a killer century). Hey, we take it where we can get it!

Sprinting can be fun...so long as I don't have to do it often. Glad you found something that you like and that you're good at. You're never going back to the tandem, are you? You're liking this solo riding too much...

[Jiffer]

Hi Tri Girl ... just before my single finally came in, after tiring of hearing me go on and on about how I couldn't wait to get it, DH says, "So should I sell the tandem?" I told him no. We did actually go on a short ride on it together this week, in between all my other daily rides! (I only missed one day ... on purpose ... to rest my muscles.)

A big part of me just wants to ride my single all the time, but I know it's not realistic that I'll ever be able to keep up with DH or other guys we ride with. Tandem is perfect for that. We ride tandem with another couple and we're trying to suck another couple we all know into riding tandem, and I'm pretty sure we're succeeding. We'll be like our own tandem club. It's a wonderful way for us to all hang together and do something fun where no one is left behind or feeling held back. So, I can see the benefit of both the single and the tandem for different situations. Yet, I'm totally on a high about my single right now!!!

I did a super slow ride today. Learned I really can go up a hill without working all that hard, as long as I'm REALLY slow (like 7mph) and I'm in the right gear. (It just always seemed no matter what gear I was in, it was going to be painful, so might as well push through it and be done!) So, basically, I learned how to do a true recovery ride. I really wanted to be kind to my muscles since I'm doing my long ride tomorrow. 20 or 25, haven't decided.