When your body (and mind) gets used to working out all the time, it can be really hard when you drop your routine. I personally get really cranky, tired and super irritable. It's like having PMS all the time. Sun up to sun down, I'm angry at the world.
I've been eyeballing the ride calender on ACTC's website, wondering if my hamstring could handle a long ride. I've been feeling good when I ride on the stationary bike at the gym, but all the rides on today's docket were 35 miles or longer...and I've only been riding 30 minutes at a time at the gym. After pushing too hard on my run, I worried that I would do it again on my ride. I decided to scrap the ride and just go to the gym.
After I got done grocery shopping, I went home and looked at the ride calendar again. Uuugghhh. There were no Grizzlies (flat rides) and nothing shorter than 35 miles. What I really wanted to do was the Giro d' Bici ride that had options of 35, 40 and 45 miles. You can't go that far right now, just go to the gym. I thought about pedaling away on the stationary bike, watching CNN and listening to my workout mix on my MP3 player. Then I thought about riding outside in the sunshine, me, Ruby, and a sea of other riders, all clicking in and out of their pedals at the stop lights. I love that sound. "Stopping!" Click, click, click, click. "Here we go!" Click, click, click and the occasional chu-clunk of a rider who tried to quickly downshift when they realized they hadn't shifted before coming to a stop.
The Giro d' Bici was listed as a 3 LM-M. Moderately hilly at a moderate pace. I can do that. M's are a moderate pace for me and my last ride with the club was a 4 for hills and I was up near the front of the group...by far.
I pulled Ruby off her ceiling hook and readied all my gear. I just barely made it to the starting point. The group was huge! The largest group I've ridden with so far. About 45 cyclists. We all started out together but would later split into three groups: 35 milers, 40 milers and 45 milers. I hoped to figure out who was which, but it was a big chaotic scene for awhile.
We hit the first hill, up a winding mountain road. I downshifted and settled in. One by one, I passed by other riders starting to struggle. I found the ride leader (he wasn't all the way up front though) who had two other people on his wheel. I settled in with them and kept my wheel right behind the guy ahead of me. We passed a few more people before making it to the top of the hill and pulling over to let everyone catch up.
After regrouping, the ride went down the other side of the mountain. I am incredibly uncomfortable with speed. Especially going down a steep hill. I rode the brakes a lot and let everyone else fly by me. When we got out into the flats, I picked up the pace to catch up.
The ride went out away from town, around green rolling hills and a nearly dried up reservoir. My favorite part of the ride was when we were riding up a slight incline on a winding mountain road that hardly had any traffic, and the big oak trees were looming across the road from either side and completely blocking out the sun. The shade felt good and the air was significantly cooler. I grinned so wide I got a couple bugs in my teeth. Riding a bicycle provides a certain amount of freedom and excitement. Especially after being cooped up in the gym/house for the last couple weeks. I was tired of having to hold myself back, and now I was letting myself go.
I hung out at the rear of the line until we hit more steep hills. Again, I downshifted and powered up past the rest of the group. One spry young woman continued to elude me and I just couldn't pick her off. There was another guy that I'm pretty sure kept beating us up the hill, but he rode around back and forth quite a bit so it was hard to tell where he was. There were 3 or 4 major climbs. I lost count since I had gone pretty delusional by the last one. Each one, I'd ride right past the majority of the group, staying seated in the saddle the whole time.
Downhill was another story. On one descent I was particularly terrified. It was so steep and winding. Sharp turns were everywhere. It occurred to me then that I really wasn't entirely sure how to corner with my bike and I certainly wasn't going to learn while flying down the hill at 50 mph. I rode the brakes, thinking that a) I was probably going to die or need plastic surgery to correct the contact my face made with the pavement and b) I was going to need a new set of brake pads if this kept up.
Finally we made it back down into the flats and I raced to catch back up with the brave members of the group. I caught up and slowed down to enjoy the scenery. The ride leader had a helmet camera that he used to take pictures and video of our ride. I smiled as I watched him snap some photos of a group of cows. We had one more hill and then....the promise land (aka, Starbucks).
When we got to Starbucks, the other groups that had split off from ours were already there. We had lunch and coffee and the whole group rode the rest of the way back together. I guess I had been in the 40 mile group...maybe the 45. I'm not sure now. It ended up being around 45, but I had forgotten to start my GPS after a rest stop and it only read 40 by the end. Ah well, can't win them all.
Today was the third ride that I had gotten compliments on my hill climbing ability. I don't know exactly what I do to get up them, I just settle in for the suffering and try to stay in a good gear. I'm wondering if it's my powerful hamstrings? Which might sound odd since one of them is injured, but even the very day I injured it, I hadn't lost strength, just range of motion and walking ability. I could curl my leg back with force, but couldn't bring it in front of my body at all.
I specifically focused on my hamstrings the winter before my last season with the crew, knowing that those muscles, along with your butt, are what pushes you up hills. And so I deepened my squat to a full depth squat, continued my step-ups and added dead-lifts. Even though I no longer hike, I keep them up because I believe it helps my running.
It was also interesting to notice that myself and the other crazy hill lady (who was passing everyone else as well) were having a harder time keeping up on the flats. The lead group took off and I struggle to maintain a 16.5 mph pace. It reminded me of a talk I had with a triathlete recently who said she didn't know how to ride on flats and that she was bad at it. I understand now. I also almost laid my bike down on a sharp turn I hadn't slowed down enough for and then nearly crashed into a bridge on another turn. Missed it by a couple inches. My turns need work.
Between 35 and 40 miles, we took one last bathroom break. I took that time to shove a nut and fruit bar in my mouth. One of the guys made a comment about me already trying to replace the calories and then added how he needed to watch that. It is super hard coming back from a long workout, being so hungry, to not completely gorge yourself with bad choices. I suggested drinking a bunch of water before digging into any food. Then he made a comment that I obviously don't have to worry about calories since I'm so in shape.
I just wanted to reply back that maybe I'm in this shape because I do not go home and eat McDonald's or pizza or brownies (I absolutely love brownies though). I look like this because after busting my butt working out, I go home and make smart choices about refueling. I also bring food and fuel with me so that I'm not completely starving by the time I get home. While I do not "worry" about calories, I'm certainly mindful of them and where they're coming from. I look the way I do because I work my butt off, eat right, and sleep right. I don't just go and do a Zumba class every once in awhile. I push myself hard for long periods of time usually about 6 days a week...sometimes twice a day. Yes, that means I need to intake more calories but it most certainly does not mean I can get them from anywhere. Being an athlete does not give you the right to put trash in your body. That being said, I do enjoy junk food occasionally. And can be very weak when it comes to sweets. Just ask Candace how much cake I ate the weekend of Charlotte's birthday.
Anyway, so I had an awesome ride, got some sun and worked my body to the point that it's been craving for weeks. It brightened my mood and I don't hate the world anymore. My hamstring feels remarkably well for what it put up with today. If it still feels this good tomorrow I'm going to go for another ride. Shorter but steeper. We call these hilly rides Billy Goats. For real, that's what they're called.
Just in case, I just cleaned and lubed Ruby's chain, cassette, derailleur and chain rings and gave her a good rub-down with buttermilk to ease the muscles...kidding. I rubbed her down with Pledge which cleans up the goo and oils really well. She's not getting hung up on her hook tonight. No sir. Tonight she stands, leaning against the wall, at ready.
One last thing. Around November last year, I started getting a subscription to Bicycling magazine. Not entirely sure how that happened, but it was either a sneak gift or it came with my purchase of new pedals and cleats. Either way, however it happened and whoever it was...thank you.
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