Having a bad ride day (a nice long rant)

[Fujichants]

I have experienced bad running days before...but today was my first bad ride day. I don't know...the weather was perfect, the day started off great as I picked up a jersey I had ordered from Cynergy in Santa Monica, I watched part of the Tour de France before getting on my bike.

Got on my bike to do about 40 miles with the bf...and my right leg starts cramping up. I figured it just needed to warm up and it would feel better. The knee started acting up next. Grrrr...asked the bf to stop so I could stretch and the muscles felt better. Everything was fine for the first hour and a half or so...then we hit lots of traffic by Manhattan Beach. I lose my balance trying to decide what to do at a red light (unclip or not?) because at the previous lights I would unclip and the stupid light would turn green and i'd be fumbling to get my cleat clipped back in. So I of course unclip last minute at this stupid light, and instead of putting my left foot down (the one I unclipped), I lose my balance and fall to my right. Luckily bf was there to catch me, but I had all the cars behind me seeing the whole thing! Boy was I embarassed!

I was just too tired to continue on actually, but kept at it, and on the way back, we had to turn left and go over a little hump to get back into the bike lane. Well, some slowpoke guy holding a cup of whatever was in there was in front of bf also making the left over the narrow opening, so bf slows down, and me being on autopilot also turn left but forget to slow down, hit bf's derailleur, lose my balance, fall to my right in the middle of the road in slowmo, all the while my left leg is still clipped in. I must admit, it must have looked funny but I was mad and embarrassed! And I broke my bf's derailleur!

I called it a day, called bf's sister to come get me, bf managed to fix whatever was broken so he rode home, but it still needs to go to the shop to have that part replaced. And I am still upset that I sucked so much today! I have been riding a lot and doing well with my hill training and riding alone in traffic, and now this crap happens! Oh, and my brand new white Castelli jersey...covered in grease stains. Bah!

[mimitabby]

wow, you said it, down to the white shorts + grease what a bummer.

I hope you feel better soon and that your bf has enough courage to ride with you again

[han-grrl]

I'm sorry to hear about the rough day - it happens.

When you are ready to process, (just keep this in your back pocket for now) -

find THREE things that you liked about the ride...anything, it could be, you liked looking at BF's butt
i mean anything.

This is what i do EVERY ride, no matter how good/bad. sometimes it could that i learned something, and i am glad i did, or that i saw a flower garden or...it helps make the memory less yuck, so it doesn't sit in the head that way next time you are in the saddle.

Remember what you said - you've been doing great!

and, you know what they say, a bad day in the saddle is still better than a great day in the office...

feel better I THINK this is a nice excuse for BF to give you a nice back rub

[HoosierGiant]

When you are ready to process, (just keep this in your back pocket for now) -

find THREE things that you liked about the ride...anything, it could be, you liked looking at BF's butt
i mean anything.

This is what i do EVERY ride, no matter how good/bad. sometimes it could that i learned something, and i am glad i did, or that i saw a flower garden or...it helps make the memory less yuck, so it doesn't sit in the head that way next time you are in the saddle.

and, you know what they say, a bad day in the saddle is still better than a great day in the office...

Theres' a whole lotta wisdom in those words!!

Sorry you had a bad ride. It's the bad ones that make the good ones so awesome though!

[Running Mommy]

getting grease out of jersey...
Find a place that sells stuff in little yellow bottles called "carbona" they have a formulation for a myriad of stains. Find the grease and oil one, and you should be good.

[han-grrl]

http://members.tripod.com/~Barefoot_Lass/grease.html

some interesting tips

i like the aloe vera one - thats probably one i would try first...because i like aloe

i used one for red wine on a light coloured top from this list once - MILK it worked awesome.

[Fujichants]

I soaked the jersey in oxiclean and the stains came out

I have been too exhausted to ride or run today. I don't know what's up with me. I don't feel like myself. Exhaustion caused me to make those dumb mistakes yesterday. Sigh...

[han-grrl]

There are many reasons to be tired

are you stressed (home, work family etc)?

PMSing?

Eating ok?

Sleeping ok?

Getting sick?

Low in something - maybe iron (thats the typical but could be other things too)...

Or maybe you've been riding lots, and your body is telling you to slow down and rest...give it a few days, then see how you feel in the saddle. I took two days off this week (not by choice mind you, life/work got in the way) and the last two days i felt great on the bike, better than i did earlier in the week. its amazing what a couple of rest days can do...

Be well!

[Aggie_Ama]

Sometimes when I get run down (too much work, exercise, etc) I just mentally and physically shut down. I will have a day much like you describe. What works for me is to just take me time, a full day or evening. I tell DH nicely to go away watch whatever I want on TV and veg.

[Fujichants]

Definitely stressed out...the past year has just been...weird...moving around, moving to Asia, moving back to the US. BF is going through some troubles with the house (now that he has to fill up his car at least 3 times a week at $75 a pop, it is hard to meet the mortgage payment), and on top of that, his ungrateful sisters and their kids moved in because they foreclosed on their own houses. I didn't sign up for this when I told him I would move in with him and gave my apartment to my brother! I am still stuck with that crappy job as I am still looking for something else that is suitable (I wrote a thread about it in the open topic forum). It is all getting to me I guess.

[solobiker]

Hang in there. Things will get better. I went through some very tough times a year or two ago and really had to focus on what made me happy on a daily basis. Every night I would write down what I appreciated or what made me happy. I was reading through this journal the other night and the things that made me happy were very simple things such as: the clouds, the way the tree limbs move in the wind, the feel of the wind on my face, watching a sunset or sunrise. Well I think you get the picture. This helped me stay positive and focused. Take care

[Blueberry]

Oh man - no wonder you're stressed. You have my sympathy. Any chance you can get some time/space for you? That's bound to grate on your nerves. I would certainly think even if they can't pay for their own houses they could help with the mortgage payment?

Sounds like you're overdue for taking care of yourself.

CA

[han-grrl]

Ditto!!

[Fujichants]

I would certainly think even if they can't pay for their own houses they could help with the mortgage payment?
CA

It would be the right thing to do...but nope! They are not helping out. They are leaving the kids in the house and going out at night. One claims she has no money at all, and goes out and gets a tattoo on her wrist. She has a three-year old daughter, and it is driving me insane how she thinks she can leave that little girl alone the whole day.

Now I realize what my BF meant when he said he is the only normal one in his family. His siblings are just too inconsiderate and have no common sense! It is so mind-boggling the way these adults behave!

I have been going on a lot of solo rides which has really helped me clear my mind, so that is why I am freaking out right now about being so exhausted, because a tired me on a bike on a busy road does not make for safe riding.

Thanks for your sympathy everybody!

[Aggie_Ama]

A few years ago I was really going through a rough patch. My mom and I are very close so she knew how bad I was feeling about my life at the time. One day we were talking and she told me something funny.... She told me to visual sticking my relatvie stressing me out, personal stress and even my well meaning friends stressing me out in my trunk. Then leave them there for the day and go on about my business. It was a funny visualization but it worked just mentally locking out the stressers in my life. We also have an expression that we will now flush the pity pot after we are done ranting or whining.