Biker Chick?

So I'm still not a runner yet. I started off walking before I started the Couch to 5k program and I've yet to be able to start the running. Since the beginning I've had painful cramping in my leg. It used to be that I could walk out the cramp fairly quickly and continue on, not anymore. I would tough it out and hobble my way home.

Then we went away on out trip and I took a week off. When I restarted my other leg, that I had considered my "good" leg started cramping and going numb after the cramp would finally release. I tried walking through that and still a couple of weeks later it is not better. I took more time off and searched the internet, hoping to find a stretching routine that would help. I swear the internet is only there to scare you when you're looking up health related things. One list had 260 item where leg cramps and pain were a symptom. I'm pretty sure that I don't have all 260 of them. I know what I really need to do is call my doctor and get myself checked out.

But in the mean time I have discovered that I really enjoy riding my bike and my legs will not scream at me when I do. Maybe I should give up the idea of running and take up biking instead? One of the truly cool sounds on this Earth is the sound of a bike tire whooshing against the road.

Oh and all four of our tomato plants are "in the family way" as my father would say.

Biking

So it was a lovely day here so I decided the bike and I should make the first trip of the season to the library. Hubby had a friend over to work on his bike so I had the pedals changed out on mine. A friend is loaning me his old cage type pedals. We swapped them out and I loaded up and was off.

I quickly realized that I had not used the special "biking" area of my bum for the winter. My body was quick to point out we had not done this in quite a while. It certainly makes you aware of areas the you do not want to be aware of. I don't think I chose the right shoes either. My feet were yelling at me half way there. Something about new pedals and not feeling the same. Oh I pulled of a halfer run too. I could not get the left pedal to flip over so I could slide my foot in so I decided to ride that way. I figured it was safer that way while I'm learning the new pedals. Easier to just step down with one foot rather than having to figure out how to kick out of the cage while riding. One skill at a time.

I think I went at a good clip for the first ride of the season. 10-14 miles per hour was good enough to get me to the library before it closed. I do really love the feeling of biking. Such freedom, at least I feel free when I'm not surrounded by traffic.

The funny thing is that I have a beautiful blue bike but all my accessories (helmut and road ID band) are red. Does that mean my next bike will be red or am I just tragically unhip? I am planning to knit long cycling socks in blue but now I think I may have to make them red to match the rest of my gear. But you know how difficult it is to match shaded of red.

I have learned that it is very important what books you choose when you ride there rather than drive there. Your books go on your back in the first scenario, and in the back seat in the second scenario. Weight and bulk become my deciding factor. No War and Peace for me this visit. Well actually no Russian literature at all this visit, they seem to write a lot when telling a story.

Also I don't pick up any "just for the fun of it" books, as I never really get around to reading these books while they are in my house. You know library books that talk about subjects that you're mildly interested in, but not enough to really go out and buy the book, Poker, gardening, various cookbooks. Hubby just gives me a look when I pick up books like that. "Really honey you want to learn about fly fishing? Are you really going to read that?" Usually I do not, the book just has a nice vacation in my house for a month with no one bothering it. I think I am trying to make up for lost time when I did not have access to a good library. At least now I'm not paying late fees anymore, so it really does not cost us anything, other than taxes but we were paying those anyways.

Oh I forgot to tell you my current book on CD in the car is The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would, which is quite a bit. It is the second in a series but I have not read the first one. The story is moving along at a good clip so that makes me happy.

Happy reading and biking all!

How to know if you're out of your league

The local bike shop puts on a beginners bike ride. We finally made the time to try it out. I grew up in the country so I am not yet comfortable riding in traffic, but I am better now and I thought what the heck.

Turns out I needed the 'before you even think about being a beginner' riding group. There were at least three clues I was out of my league before we even started.

1 Mine was the only non road bike there. I have been told road bikes take less effort to ride, so I'm already going to be working harder than anyone else.

2 I was the only one without a biking jersey. So great now I even look more like I'm not part of the crowd, like I should be a spectator. There were two jerseys modeled after Tour de France team jerseys. I get it I'm not part of the "in" crowd. At least I had bike shorts on.

3 They all had clip in shoes. These clip into the bike pedal and allow you to use the whole stroke, not just the down stroke. Yet more biking attire that proves how much of a 'dig it' I am not. Sigh.

So we start off and everyone is super polite and says after you. No one wanted to start after the leader so I think what the heck and start off after him. It is like when you were in school and no one wanted to be the first to give their oral report. Always volunteer to go first. You get bonus points for going first and they have no one to compare you to. You can not look that bad and by the time everyone else finishes they all forgot how you stumbled over the pronunciation of some silly word. What? It works try it the next time.

We go for about a couple of miles (give or take) and I'm still doing better than I thought I would. We're going through city streets and I have not balked at making a left turn yet. I am feeling confident with my new group status. That is right Miss Antisocial is part of a biking group.

The person leading the group drops back to check on how everyone is doing and says to me..."Just ride at your own pace". Dude I am.

Then a long slow hill hits me. Those kind of hills just take all the wind out of my sails. They kill me. I keep looking up thinking I am going to do this. I shift down a gear, same thought I am going to do this, shift down, I am going to do this, shift down, I don't want to do this any more, shift down, no thought just blood throbbing in my head, shift down, keep pedaling and wonder if people ever stroke out while on a bike.

I do make it to the top of the saddest little incline ever. You see I called it a hill but in reality it was a slight rise over a stretch of road.

So I start to think at this point maybe I am not a beginner after all. Maybe I am three steps before beginner. I look at the Hubby and say I don't think I can do this. He says how about down this hill? Yeah I can go down just don't ask me to go up. Guess what happens when you go down? That's right you have to go up. I start shifting down again and think pffffftt. I get off the bike and start walking up.

We get to the top of the hill (yeah that one was a hill) and start discussing options with the leader guy who has dropped back for me. He says something like there are escape routes all along the route we're on. I am looking for a hatch get me out, now. We were five miles into a 15 mile ride I know I don't have that in me. I send Hubby on his way to catch up to the group. I turn off to go make the 5 mile return trip back to the car.

Funny thing was it was not that bad. I never worried about what could happen. I didn't think that I would not make it. I did think at one point in time I need to brake, I'm going pretty fast and the cars next to me are also. But other than that the return ride was actually enjoyable.

Is it wrong that now I want a road bike also? I am definitely set on being the SAG car operator if Hubby does want to any type of cross country ride. I don't want to be the person looking for an escape hatch five miles into a 100 mile ride.

I even managed to get my bike into the car after the ride by myself. Now aren't you proud of me? I know I was. Oh yeah and what is a failed biker/successful knitter to do with her waiting for the rest of the group to arrive time? You guessed it.

I knit on a sock in the car. I think it was the only reason D agreed to finish the ride was because I told him I would be fine I had knitting in the car.

Biking

Hubby and I went for a ride tonight. He's right it blows off steam quite effectively. In a way I feel like we are newlyweds. No not in the gushy romantic way, in the way that we need to learn how to deal with each other that unfamiliar situation.

When riding on the road as a vehicle, NY state law says that bicycles are vehicles. This means you must follow the laws like a car. Let me tell you as a new rider I think the California rolling stop should be legal for vehicles who's engine is me. I am not what you may call high octane when it comes to acceleration on a bike.

Anyways it is a new situation for us to ride together on the road. Who rides on what side? How fast do we go? Where are we going? Can we stop for ice cream? By the way my answer to that last question is YES. At least we do not have to argue about which radio station to listen to.

It is odd because I feel I know this person so well but all the details are missing. That does make it a little different.

He is was raised in town so he is comfortable riding in the road, I was raised in the country so I am comfortable with zero traffic. Kind of hard to do in NY during the commute time. I don't rank as high as Joe Biden, they will not close down streets for me.

All in all it was a good ride, but I don't see us riding across the country like he does. I still think of myself as part of the SAG team, not the riding team. Maybe we can plan a cross state ride first. I hear tale of some yarn shops and wineries on the other end of the state. SAG crew does not have to ride behind you the whole time right? Maybe just a little detour for some merino wool?

I'm still supporting my Husband!

Well, not financially but in spirit. My hubby did something this weekend he did not think he could. I, being a very good wife knew he could but we will not quibble over that.

He completed a 62 mile bike ride for MS. Storms were forecast for the afternoon so we were both nervous about him getting caught in the rain. He toyed with the idea of only doing the 30 mile route, but we checked forecast Sat. am and he decided to do all or nothing. He chose all by the way. Not to spoil anything here but he did not get rained on. It did cloud over but we lucked out.

We arrived at West Mountain in time to see the 100 mile (century) group leave. Small but effective group. FYI 62.5 miles is called a metric century because it is 100 km. D completed the metric century.

We got him registered and prepped. See how happy he looks? I believe our Escape is now being referred to in our house as the SAG. It is a biking thing Support And Gear.

I saw him off at 9 am. Yes that is 9 am on a Saturday, we were up by 6 am. Sad but true. You can not see it but that is the thumbs up sign he's giving me. He is so cute!

I found a spot and unpacked my now I wait for 5-6 hours bag. Yep that is right: knitting, knitting journal, water, Ipod, new romance novel and notebook for random thoughts and future blog entries. All the food was stashed in the Escape but a granola bar. Can you bring chips and beef jerky to an event like this? Do the fitness food police confiscate it?

The first 2 hours passed quickly like they did at the other event. I missed my knitting buddy this time, but hey she can't come to every event with me. Then I got hungry and had to retire to the SAG. See it even works when you're not the one riding in the event. Let me just say I love our Escape, it seems to be living up to its name. I spent a couple of hours in there and got a bit twitchy waiting. There is really no way to know how long it will take for him to get back. The closer it gets to a possible finishing time the twitchier I get. Luckily he texted me at about 1:30 to tell me 8 more miles to go. I closed up shop and went to wait by the road.

I saw this at around 2:15. Did I mention that I think he is super cool and cute, sweaty and all.

He does not look half as tired as I would after riding a 6th of that distance. That picture is post ride, post dinner and pre ride home. I think he is happy, to be done and to have been able to do it.

I forgot to mention that the reason he did this ride was for his mom who has MS. Betty, are you as proud as I am? Yeah I think you are. So send all your good thoughts and best wishes to her today!

My favorite picture from the day. Doesn't he just look like a visionary?

Hubby, I love you and love being your SAG team.

Follow me where I go what I do and who I know

Make it part of you to be part of me

Follow me up and down all the way and all around

Take my hand and say you'll follow me

John Denver - Follow me

In support of my Husband

I can not tell you how cool it is to watch my husband cross the finish line. We spent part of Sunday at Tour de Cure for Diabetes. D rode a 50 mile bike ride for the event.

He is totally in love with biking now, has been for a little over a year. It is great to see someone you love doing something that they love. Remind me of this statement next year when he wants to do the 100 mile ride.

The bad part was after the fun count down and start of the ride, there is not much to do but wait for them to return. You know how much I like waiting. Don't worry I came prepared. I brought a book, my ipod, my sock that I am knitting on and the wife of another rider. Hey L you know who you are. Knitting and my friend made the time fly by. Two hours passed before I even knew it.

It was great to see all the people coming in to finish the ride, but it was awesome to see the Hubby sail in. Love you biker man.

PS: He has awesome biking calves now, check them out if you get the chance. Just don't stare too long Ladies.