One way to get over fear

[DDH]

Well, I took off on my ride this afternoon. My normal, 12 miles ride that I take. It was a little cloudy, but not to bad, besides I figured if I wait on the clouds to clear I will never ride. Our dirt road wasn't muddy for a change and I was going while I could. The last few days it clouds up threatens rain and showers a bit and then clears back up, but it has been in the late afternoon during the heat of the day that it has been doing it, so I figured I had time to get a ride in. I get about half way through my ride and I feel sprinkles. Now mind you, I am afraid of riding in the rain. Or at least I have been until today.
It started showering and it got harder and harder and I thought, "I am going to end up on the pavement" but I kept peddling cause I was getting soaked and I needed to hurry before my dirt road became a muddy creek. I get to the highway where I have to cross and there is traffic, so I stopped and waited and decided to get off my bike and run her across for fear my tires would spin out while trying to get going again. I make it across and it starts pouring. I get back on my bike and finish out the couple miles left to make it home and get to the infamous dirt road. Well, it was muddy, but with the water running on it it wasn't soaking in yet so just the top layer was sticking to my tires and thank goodness I wasn't sinking down into it. I get to the top of the rise which is almost to my house and can you believe it, it stops raining. I am not kidding, it's like someone turned off the faucet. I'm soaked, my bike is all muddy, my shoes are drenced, but you know what, it was really quite refreshing to be honest. I have been so afraid of riding in the rain for fear my tires would just come out from under me, but I took it easy around the corner and then of course got off to cross the highway, and everything was fine. The dirt road was a bit slick and my back tires went a little sideways and slid around a bit, but nothing major and I didn't wreck!!

So one more fear, put aside now. I am now clipless and past that fear as of last summer, and now I have had my first drenching ride. LOL
It was great!!!!

[margo49]

Wonderful story, Donna.
Like wot Road Raven's sig says: "Courage does not always roar"

[Torrilin]

*bounces around cheering*

Riding in the rain is fun! The only thing I don't like is sometimes my glasses get soaked enough that it's hard to see, and then I have to stop I should figure out how to keep a small cloth on my bike and dry so I can dry them and keep going.

[pooks]

My fear about rain is lightning. I really really really am afraid of getting struck by lightning, which means many times I've stood on my front porch in terror because I could hear thunder, before I could finally force myself across the yard to the car.

Last week I was at my mom-in-law's and noticed that somebody had forgotten to lock her gate (on a cyclone fence). It was pouring rain and thundering, but the thunder wasn't close so I finally forced myself to stand in the rain by telling myself that it wasn't close and stop being silly and as I worked with the old lock, trying to get it closed --

KAPOW!!!!

Lightning struck almost on top of me -- knocked out the electricity for several blocks, yadda, yadda.

I would love to take a ride in the rain, if there was absolutely no risk of lightning, but that hasn't happened this summer.

Congrats on your ride. It sounds like you're rockin'!