I'm New :-)

[athena]

That's interesting, bounceswoosh. I am thinking I might try to search for a new doctor I am comfortable with, as I am less rushed now. I still haven't gotten a chance to talk to my PT (appointment is this Friday), but hopefully she'll have some suggestions about a sports-oriented primary care provider.

I have gotten two more rides in since the not-so-great 19th birthday one.

Yesterday, I biked back from school to home. It was the first time I got passed on the trail. These two men (looked to be in their 30s) passed me and then proceeded to ride side-by-side. I didn't really feel like I could make it around them safely and they were going at a comfortable speed, so I stayed behind them for a couple miles. I remember one of them looking back at me and he had this look like, "aww, that's cute. That little girl is trying to keep up with us." Eventually, the one on the left moved over a little and there was room to pass. I wanted to put a little bit of distance between myself and those guys, but it only lasted a couple miles. Soon, it felt like somebody was right behind me. I looked back and one of the guys said "We're drafting off you. We need somebody strong... Preferably somebody taller." That lit my competitive fire I wanted to show them I could still hold my own, even if I'm not very tall. So, I started pushing myself to go faster and it was really cool. They helped motivate me so much, but eventually they turned back about 10 miles from my home. I used the rest of the ride to recover mostly, but also biked up the giant hill by home, which was an awesome workout I'm mainly used to long-distance running, so the strength & endurance combo. from cycling is a little different.

Today, I biked down to work and back (maybe 40ish miles round-trip). I really need to read more about bike-commuting, I think. It was raining all day and I wore my regular clothes, instead of more exercise-specific ones. I realized the jeans choice, in particular, was very not smart I also had a little bit of a mishap with the gears on my bike. On the bright side, I found out how to get into a higher gear (I think). I'm pretty sure that's what the small, unmarked levers on the handlebars are for. I think I must have shifted entirely wrong though because my bike started to make a pretty loud creaking noise (it's usually almost silent). I kept biking for a couple miles and felt like such a newbie with my loud bike and blue jeans. I eventually stopped at the side of the trail and played with the chain a little, although I had no idea what I was doing. I was really lucky because this super-nice cycling boy stopped to ask if I needed help. I wish I would have taken more notice of his jersey now because I'd love to have a way to thank him for the help. He got some sort of tool out of his jersey and spun the tire around a little, shifted some things, etc. Fixed my bike perfectly and was completely non-condescending about it! He explained that the chains might have stretched a little since it's a new bike and that's probably why the chain probably slipped off. He said I should take it back in to get it tuned up. I still was so amazed by how nice he was though. To not only stop and help, but explain simple things in a non-condescending way. It was pretty awesome. There's some really nice people in this world

Hoping to get another ride in this weekend before I have to go back to school.

[VeloVT]

he was prob'ly flirting with you ...

Being a helpless female isn't ALWAYS a bad thing ...

(I usually try to avoid it when I can though ).

[Fujichants]

Wow Athena, you are pretty damn fit!

[Trigress]

Wow, I'm impressed...

Just for fun ladies, what is the etiquette for drafting on people you don't know in the US?

I've never quite found out here, but no-one seems too bothered if you draft, is my impression.

Athena: training that is good for bone density is all kinds of strength training as well as running and walking. If you can't run much anymore, I'd recommend strength training, preferably using heavy weights. If you do for instance squats you should get a benefit from it as a cyclist as well (Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå does a lot of strength training apparently, and she's a fairly accomplished cyclist...).

[athena]

he was prob'ly flirting with you ...

Being a helpless female isn't ALWAYS a bad thing ...

(I usually try to avoid it when I can though ).

Ack! I hope not. It definitely made my weekend though. Flirting or not, it was a super-nice thing to do

Wow Athena, you are pretty damn fit!

That's really nice of you to say I've been breathing pretty hard on some of these rides though, so I don't know that fitness (or lack there of...) is the main factor. I think my new bike's really helped me to motivate me to go fast. It's way too much fun

Wow, I'm impressed...

Just for fun ladies, what is the etiquette for drafting on people you don't know in the US?

I've never quite found out here, but no-one seems too bothered if you draft, is my impression.

Athena: training that is good for bone density is all kinds of strength training as well as running and walking. If you can't run much anymore, I'd recommend strength training, preferably using heavy weights. If you do for instance squats you should get a benefit from it as a cyclist as well (Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå does a lot of strength training apparently, and she's a fairly accomplished cyclist...).

Thanks Trigress. That's nice of you to say. I'm not too sure about etiquette for drafting either. It surprised me a little to have two men I didn't know right behind me, but once I realized they were harmless, I enjoyed it I feel like all three of us got a pretty good workout out of it.



I promise I'll stop replying to this thread soon I got another ride in today, although it was very short. I only found a small section of the trail I was looking for, so ended up pedaling around town a little. It was an amazing day and I really enjoyed the hour or so around town, although I get nervous riding on the streets. I would like to get more comfortable on the roads eventually, but I think for now I'm going to try to stick to trails (and hopefully be better at finding them!).

Unfortunately, my bike is spending the night in the repair shop When I bought it last week, they suggested I bring it back for a tune-up after 100 miles. I did get a run in tonight, but it wasn't the same as biking. I have the feeling this is going to be a very long week!

[Zen]

Drafting off a stranger, particularly without asking permission, is generally frowned upon.

[athena]

Drafting off a stranger, particularly without asking permission, is generally frowned upon.

Good to know! Thanks for filling me in


Wanted to update you guys real quick about the doctor situation. I just got back to school now and noticed a letter on my desk marked confidential from the health center on campus. I was nervous about opening it, but it turns out the doctor I saw last month (I saw one on campus about the heart stuff first, before deciding to get a second opinion from the one back home) sent me a letter to check how I was doing. In the letter, it said she also tried to call but didn't leave a message since it wasn't my voice on the machine. I've never had a doctor contact me like this before, but it looks like she might be a "keeper" I'm still pretty amazed by the timing!

[dex]

I think my new bike's really helped me to motivate me to go fast. It's way too much fun

That's awesome. Going fast on a bike is always much with the fun.

However, keep in mind that the road is a more appropriate place than the trail for faster speeds. As the weather gets nicer, the trails are going to become more crowded with walkers, people with pets, mothers with strollers and small children, and those out for slow leisurely rides in the sun. Riding a bike fast around that kind of slow-moving (and sometimes unpredictable) traffic is frustrating and less than safe, for everyone.

I understand the road trepidation/nervousness, but if speed is one of your big sources of bike joy, you'll probably be much happier getting off the trail and out on the road.

[athena]

Oh definitely, dex! I think I might go out of the city a little to find some quieter roads, at first. I noticed you're in Seattle... do you have any suggestions, by chance? I'm in the Seattle area most of the time, but on the east-side a lot too.