Tour de "Oh my God, my back hurts!"

[Starfish]

How did the knee hold up, and how's the back this morning?

[Veronica]

The knee was bothering me a little on the way out. But was fine on the way back. My back is better, I no longer feel like my vertebrae are being squashed together, but it is still very tight.

I will live.

V.

[Starfish]

I will live.

V.

Any rides on the horizon that you actually expect to enjoy?

[sundial]

Veronica, glad you finished your epic ride on a somewhat happy note.

No guts, no glory.

[Veronica]

Any rides on the horizon that you actually expect to enjoy?

I enjoyed the ride from the turnaround to the store yesterday. The descent off Cardiac on the way back was killer. The last two times I've descended it, it was dark. I think I was faster in the dark. But it was nice to be warm while I was descending it.

Funny, I was telling Thom about all the little mind games I was playing to get to the finish and he said, "Tell me again why you do this?"

V.

[Geonz]

You made it!! Here's to rides that feel *good* in your future ... but here's also to getting over whatever obstacles arise, even if it hurts! You go girl

[maillotpois]

Good job. When's your bike fit?

[jobob]

Herein lies the difference between V & me.

I was on the same ride. I thought I was ready & I was really looking forward to it.

My back & shoulders started hurting at about mile 30, and over time my neck and legs joined in, and then my head started pounding. By the time I reached mile 45 (Moskovite Corners) I decided there was no way I could gut this one out, and I wanted off my bike NOW.

(As an aside, my back almost never hurts on a ride, especially after only 30 miles. There was definitely something else going on.)

So, I got off my bike, called Lee (who had driven me up & was in the area but was currently on a ride and wouldn't be there for over 2 hours), laid back in a sunny spot on the decking at the side of store, and alternately watched the world go by & dozed.

On one hand, I feel like a wimp and a total loser for not sticking it out and bailing so early into the ride. Especially seeing how V stuck it out. It's becoming pretty obvious that I just don't have the right kind of tenacity for these long distance rides.

On the other hand, this is supposed to be fun. I was most definitely not having fun. I didn't even want to attempt the last 20 miles to the control at Pope Valley, even though I knew I would have been able to score a Haagen-Dasz bar at the Pope Valley store for my effort (the store & restaurant at Moscovike were closed for renovations). That's how much fun I wasn't having.

(fwiw, I think I am coming down with something, I don't feel horrible today but I'm still achey and I definitely don't feel good.)

I'll give it a few days and re-evaluate.

[Veronica]

You cannot compare yourself to other people Jo! You have to listen to your own body. And it is suppose to be fun!

You know how much I am questioning whether or not I want to keep doing these long rides. Part of that is because I am not sure they are all that much fun anymore. Time limits and rides that go through less interesting places just to get mileage that ends in a zero, having to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the start...

I only truly felt like crap the last thirty miles or so - the flat ones! Yeah, I had issues before that, but they would come and go. I know in any long ride there will be times when I am just going to feel yucky. Sometimes I just know the yuck is going to go away... when I get the tailwind, when I get off this climb... And sometimes your body just says, "Get me off this damn bike now!" Three miles from the end, riding into a headwind, knowing I was not going to break 10 hours, I had this urge to throw my bike to my ground and just stop. But I knew a good chunk of that urge came from knowing I was not going to have the finishing time I wanted...

Anyway... stop beating yourself up. It sounds like your body was telling you something and it is good that you listened.

V.

[shootingstar]

On one hand, I feel like a wimp and a total loser for not sticking it out and bailing so early into the ride. Especially seeing how V stuck it out. It's becoming pretty obvious that I just don't have the right kind of tenacity for these long distance rides.

On the other hand, this is supposed to be fun. I was most definitely not having fun. I didn't even want to attempt the last 20 miles to the control at Pope Valley, even though I knew I would have been able to score a Haagen-Dasz bar at the Pope Valley store for my effort (the store & restaurant at Moscovike were closed for renovations). That's how much fun I wasn't having.

(fwiw, I think I am coming down with something, I don't feel horrible today but I'm still achey and I definitely don't feel good.)

I'll give it a few days and re-evaluate.

Would you feel more relaxed, less pain if you did the same ride and distance by yourself with an approx. time goal finish in your head? There is some hard work on a long bike ride..but abit more enjoyment could be there if the ride was configured differently.

At least 1-3 difficult long hard rides in a season/year, helps you master and enjoy the other rides even more! I tell myself as a motivator...

And I always tell myself, I may not be as strong in cycling ...as in other areas /skills...I know that I have weathered some difficult life challenges....and other people just have a way tougher time than I.

The first cycling race I ever saw live....was a national wheelchair race. Paraplegics that were at the top of their game. I talked to one of the competitors...who had big bulging biceps..he told me how on the odd occasion he did have to be pushed up a long very steep hill..and the surgery he had done on his arm muscles from the strain of pulling on his wheelchair wheels forward.

I try to remember this...whenever I start feeling sorry/disgusted at myself.

In the end, cycling has to be pleasurable....so that you keep on wanting to do it for many decades ahead.

[gnat23]

Funny, I was telling Thom about all the little mind games I was playing to get to the finish and he said, "Tell me again why you do this?"

Hahah! I remember peddling up a huge hill with my boyfriend, it was cold and windy, I was having a rough time with the grade and manged to huff out "This sport is stupid!"

Glad you survived to see another day, er, ride!

-- gnat!