Small Victories

[doctorfrau]

All you who've been riding forever may chuckle, but I've made some progress and acquired a few more "skills" this week. I'll call them Small Victories...

1) Managed to coast one-handed and find/drink-from/return my water bottle without crashing! .... twice!
(of course it was on a deserted path and I was only going maybe 10 mph, but still)

2) Rode 33 miles - farthest I've gone in one trip so far.

3) Manged to pedal while standing.... sort of.... for a few strokes (also on a deserted path where no one could see me and laugh!)


Hee hee, just thought I share. It doesn't take much to make me feel good!

[jobob]

All you who've been riding forever may chuckle...

Well, I've been riding waaaay less than forever, and I know just what you mean. Those small victories can be such a rush. Way to go

[trekchic]

I know exactly what you mean! I am in clipless for the 1st time and am having a difficult time adjusting. I am tempted to go back to toe cages until I am riding more confidently.

Every time I go out in them and remain upright it's a small victory! I'm right there with you, sister! Keep up the good work and let me hear your progress. Keeps me motivated to push on!

[jobob]

I am in clipless for the 1st time and am having a difficult time adjusting. I am tempted to go back to toe cages until I am riding more confidently.

Kim, I know you've spent a lot of time and energy (and money, no doubt!) trying to adjust to your clipless pedals, but if it's keeping you from enjoying riding, your instincts might be right in going back to toe cages or even plain platform pedals for the time being ...

just my 2 cents,
- Jo.

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by doctorfrau
Managed to coast one-handed and find/drink-from/return my water bottle without crashing! .... twice!

I still haven't mastered this skill while on the road... But I've pretty much got it perfected while on my trainer! --Remove bottle from cage, open bottle, drink, close bottle, replace in the cage. It doesn't sound that hard, but I'm too spastic. It takes so much effort for me that I'm sure I wouldn't drink enough if I depended on this skill for my hydration. I know it's not the roadie way, but I use my camelback even when road riding.

[doctorfrau]

re: the one-handed thing and drinking...

I'm finding that it is not unlike some of the stuff I learned in Ballet class when I was 5. For me it seems to be all about keeping my trunk/center of gravity "centered", while moving my arms and legs in sort of an isolated and fluid way. It also sort of felt like when you balance a book on your head and "glide" across the room. It's that controlled movement kind of thing Now that I have the "feeling", I just have to work up to actually DOING it on a regular basis!!!


I also picked up another useful tidbit on my ride this evening...

When riding in these beautiful spring evenings, 'round about dusk when the bugs come out to play, No matter how out of breath you are...... breathe thru your nose and not your MOUTH!!!

PAAAHTOOOHEEEYYYYYY!!!!!

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by doctorfrau

PAAAHTOOOHEEEYYYYYY!!!!!

Doctorfrau:

I hope you didn't eat anything that looked your avatar!! That would take two bites! Yum!

[hibiscus09]

1) Managed to coast one-handed and find/drink-from/return my water bottle without crashing! .... twice!
(of course it was on a deserted path and I was only going maybe 10 mph, but still)

I can relate to that statement! It still kind of creeps me out to do this! I love a camelbak so I don't have to worry about such, but it does feel silly using those for hour rides so I keep braving it out and reaching for the bottle on my shorter rides.

Congrats on the 30+ mile ride!!! It's fun to pass those milestones. When I got to where I could do those, I found out about the MS150 rides last year and trained for one of those! It was so much fun. I'm getting ready to begin my training for this year's in June and then the actual ride is in September. I'm sure you have one in your area -- you should check it out at the National MS Society's website!

I had a bug fly into my mouth, hit the back of my throat and go down and then realized what happened -- it happened so fast. LOL