Challenges and Birthdays

Karen and Billy

Art and Billy

If you have been following my blog at all, you know how much I have changed as a cyclist since those first few scary trips down the road. I still have a long way to go before I will consider myself an accomplished cyclist, but each outing gives me more... more strength, more confidence, and definitely more fun :) Each ride also helps me overcome what I have felt are some challenges that I face on the road.

Today's ride was no exception in the learning department. I rode to the commuter lot, something I have been doing a lot of lately. My team gathers at the commuter lot to start our ride. Once there we may have a 'mission minute' when we remember why we are riding (to raise funds to help cure leukemia), or we may have a 'mini clinic' to address some training issue. Or, we just meet there and start the ride. Since I live only 4 miles from the commuter lot, I have taken to 'riding to the ride'. I have become one of those people. I have found that I can ride the 4 miles in about 14 minutes, cruising down route 4 with an average speed of about 16 mph. Not too shabby, considering that when I first started Coach Henry was doubtful that I would be able to maintain the 10mph average that was needed for Tahoe.  The most difficult part of these 4 miles is merging from the shoulder on the right to the left hand turn lane to take a left onto Town Farm Rd and into the lot. Since I was on the road at about 7:30am, I had a lot of morning commuter traffic to deal with while making my merge. POC (piece of cake). One year ago, this would not have been possible for me to do.

Today, Bill (BillyTooTall), Art (our honored hero, 2 time lymphoma/leukemia survivor), and I were going to do a training ride, 56 miles to celebrate Bill's 56th birthday. Sounds like a lot of fun, only I needed to remember that on Saturday I did 63 miles, with quite a bit of climbing, and the route Bill planned for us today also had a lot of climbing (3168 feet according to my phone app).  So, legs were sluggish to say the least. Another challenge, how do I face this hilly ride, starting out on dead legs?

We headed out with a mind set of having fun. We deviated from the planned route a little bit by omitting Lovely Street and heading right to the intersection of Huckleberry Hill and Rt 4, making the short steep grade our first little challenge. Once done with that, and continuing on through the construction we made it up Huck Hill, not bad, it is a nice little climb, and then the dreaded downhill. Now, downhills have always been a challenge for me, but I have made progress. I learned from Jim Kimball and John Ambrose, to slide back and get my weight more over my back wheel, to loosen my vice-like grip on the handlebars and brakes, and to keep my knees close to the bar, I tired putting that into practice today. The downhill isn't long, but it is steep. It has a blind curve and a street that comes out onto it from the other side of the cemetery, one oddly placed manhole cover and then a drainage grate that sits right where my bike wants to be, and then at the bottom, as if to add insult to injury, there is a big, fat, red stop sign. So, although not the hugest of downhills, it poses a challenge for me. I usually go on New Road and take the easy way into Collinsville and avoid Huck Hill altogether. But not today. I was not going to wimp out in front of the men, today, I would conquer that down hill. And I did. I did use my brakes (Brake Free is a little slogan that Charryse came up with to  help me up my game in the downhill department right after I started riding).  And, while I was not totally brake free on Huck Hill, it was the best I have ever done on that hill. I finally learned the right way to feather the brakes (feathering does not equal squeezing with all your strength - who knew!?!?). Yes, I did better, not great, but better! Challenge Huck Hill ... over.
We turned on 179 and then another left onto 202 towards Torrington. The bottom part of 202 was newly paved last year. Awesome job, I tell you! No more raised manhole or drainage grate covers like the last time I was on 202. Only beautiful smooth pavement, and a beautiful steady climb. Once we crossed the Canton town line into New Hartford, you could see the difference in pavement, but we kept climbing.   This is the kind of hill I adore. Rt 202 goes all the way into Torrington, and it climbs the whole way. Never is it very steep,  but a continuous 3-4, maybe 5% grade the whole way. There are a couple of places where the road flattens out some, but not for long. There are no real downhills. There are some 'false flats' as Art calls them, places where you can gear up a little bit and go a little faster, but you are still climbing. Then there is the one spot that really faked me out. We were climbing and I could see the crest of the hill, and then it looked like it would go down (and maybe a little off to the right). So, cresting the hill, I shifted up as I normally would, into a higher gear, getting ready to go downhill, hoping that I could gain momentum to make it up the next grade... HA! There was no downhill. It totally got me! It just went up yet again.  Turning off Rt 202 and onto Torringford St, we stopped at the church for a snack and drink (and I said a short prayer.. Please God, flatten the road!).. ha.. prayers unanswered. The climbing continued, but more in a rolling hill fashion. Ups and downs.. some really, really good downs!!! I was able to hit 38.2 mph. Again, another milestone for me, since last year I would have been squeezing on the brakes so hard I could smell the rubber burning. I think last year my max speed, and that includes Tahoe was 32 mph, so for me, 38 is a great improvement.

We ended up back on Rt 44 in Winsted, headed out to our new favorite ride to Riverton, had another snack and headed back on tired legs (okay, tired legs that were maintaining a pretty good clip!). The bulk of the climbing had been accomplished in the first half of the ride, a good thing, yes, but there is something to be said for pushing on with tired legs. Learning to maintain the energy needed to complete a 109 mile ride, means that at times we will be pushing on with tired legs, best get used to it now!

Today, was a joy, a gift, and I think we squeezed it for every drop of good that was in it. Bill, celebrating his birthday, Art, (again, a 2 time cancer survivor), celebrating being able to ride, and me, just celebrating overcoming a couple of challenges, knowing that a year ago I would have taken the easy way, turned right instead of left, and squeezed the brakes really, really hard.

Interesting things I saw (and want to go back to with my camera):
A hen turkey
A little grouping of 3 antique looking birdhouses in someone's yard
A monster in someones yard, dressed in red, white and blue.. rather resembled some Republicans I have seen lately
The church bell where we stopped for a snack
The broken bridge in Riverton.

My thanks to the general store in Riverton who are willing to sell me one piece of Provolone cheese :) Thanks guys!
And a special thanks to all of my friends and family who are facing special challenges of their own and who rise above. I learn from you!

Hell hath done gone and froze over

Yes, folks, Hell, (as in the hot place, Hades, the realm of Pluto, Satan's Kingdom) yeah, that place has frozen over. The old devil himself is now wearing and overcoat, scarf and mittens. Why??? Because I hate riding my bike on the bike path.

A year and a half ago, if you had told me that I would prefer to ride on the road over the bike path, I would have answered with  "sure, when hell freezes over". Well, I prefer to ride on the road, so hell must have frozen over.  I used to be a regular on my hybrid on the Farmington Valley Greenway. I would go from Farmington up to the Mass line pretty much all on the path. Loved it. I couldn't think about riding on the road, too scary.

Then, I got on the road. I didn't care for it at first and I would do some parts of my training rides on the path, unbeknownst to Coach. But when Coach Henry found out, he pretty much told me I couldn't go on the path anymore. I remember his booming voice ( he could play God in a movie with that voice).."Stay OFF the path!".  His advice was worth listening to, and he had plenty of cause to tell me this 1) I needed to be training for Tahoe, and Tahoe is a road. I need to be used to traffic, and following the rules of the road and how to keep myself in a safe position while sharing the road with cars. and 2)  hills. I needed to be training on hills and the Greenway, as most Rails to Trails, is very flat and doesn't offer much in the way of a variety of terrain.  And, we all know, just like riding on roads, because that is what you will be faced with during your event, you also want to train on hills because that is what you will be faced with during your event. Train for terrain harder than you event is, so that when you come to the event, it is a POC (piece of cake).

So, kicking and screaming I forced myself to ride on the road, I convinced myself that I could tolerate it to appease Henry and get myself ready for Tahoe, but I would never, ever, like it. It would always be scary, there would always be cars that were going too fast, and coming too close.  I would never like it or feel comfortable.
My ride tonight was pretty much just to get some air and a little exercise after work. My shoulders were sore from work (really poor ergonomics), and I didn't want to go too far, just a relaxing little ride. So, I went out to Collinsville and heading up Rt 179 I decided to turn off and try out the newest part of the bike path. A section that runs from Collinsville through to the Canton end of Lovely street.  It is beautiful, picturesque, very green and lush... and flat. The first thing that got my goat, were the stop signs. Too many of them. You couldn't gain any speed, because you had to stop for a cross street every few yards. I think technically you are supposed to dismount and walk your bike across these crosswalks (oops). The second thing that got to me were the pretty brick inlays on both sides of these crosswalks. Very pretty they were, but also a little slippery to my skinny little tires. (I wish my butt was as skinny as my tires, but I digress.) Maybe it was due to the recent rain, who knows.
Another thing that I didn't like were the people. I am sure they are very nice folks, but here is the guy, all the way to the left, and here is his dog all the way to the right, with his 10 foot leash draped across the path like a clothesline. Okay, how many times did I announce myself before he crossed the path to be on the same side as his dog? At least 3. Then there is the couple, who heard "on your left" and thought it meant move left. Okay. The kids on skateboards, people jogging with their heads down -- I bet they find a lot of money that way, but they sure aren't aware that a bike is coming at them from the opposite direction! All of them interrupted my pacing. I was actually uncomfortable riding there, and I didn't like it, and slow!?!?! Oh my goodness, slower than a snail crawling uphill on ice (well maybe not that slow).  I couldn't wait to get back to Rt 179 and continue on my way to Job Lot. Now don't get me wrong, the bike trail is really well done, and so needed in this area. It is a beautiful place to walk and sit on a bench to think and meditate, and maybe it is even the perfect place to ride a hybrid and enjoy nature. But, it is not for me, not anymore.  So, after my ride out to Lovely Street (where they put in a beautiful pergola and meditation benches), I turned and went back to Rt 179, back to the cars going by and the dust being kicked up in my face. Back to where I am comfortable on my bike. So, Satan, I hope you are enjoying your cold snap. I know I am.

The need for speed. Or not.

Maverick: I feel the need...
Maverick, Goose: ...the need for speed!

Have you ever noticed how fast people are moving these days?  On the highway, at the grocery, seems like wherever you go people are trying to go faster.
Yeah, well, that ain't me.  I have proved that by trying to get back into running. So, here is a philosophical question: is my run really a run if it is slower than my walk? Enough of that. I am only venturing out on two feet instead of 2 wheels to do something to keep my bones strong, and I get bored walking so I shuffle. I can actually shuffle about 3 miles without breaking into my walk. Unless, I want to speed up, then I break into my walk. Comical. I really hope nobody is out on the greenway taping me. That would be truly embarrassing. But, no matter how slow, I get my 3 miles done.

Since I am training for the fall ride with Team in Training, (El Tour de Tucson) which is a relatively flat (hallelujah!) ride, and I am not training to ride the hills (can we just call them mountains?) of Lake Tahoe, I am starting to feel the need for (a bit) of speed! I will never be a rider like Paulie, he isn't human, he rides up Mt Washington on his bike. Yes, his bike climbed Mt Washington, my car has not even done that. I will never be like Matty the punk. Matty just turned 30, I can call him a punk. You know, someone who is only 30 can go out the night before, have a few drinks and still get up and ride 100 miles the next day.  Yeah, I remember being 30, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.   I will never ride like that skinny little fart, Jim Kimball. I just ride like me, a little faster than I used to be, a little faster than some, not as fast as most, but I get there.

I have made a lot of progress over the last year and a half on my bike. The hill on 44, that I did on my first ride ever on my new bike, with sneakers and flat pedals, huffing and puffing like old engine number 9, shifting wrong, is not a hill to me anymore. Sure, I am still slow on the climbs, but I can make the climbs.  Coach Henry said I was a stronger rider than I give myself credit for. And that may very well be true. I am a strong rider, maybe not a fast rider, but a strong rider.  Some of the progress I have made has been in the way of technique. I learned to pedal downhill... it helps get your keester up the next hill. I have started standing on the pedals, when I crest a hill, just to break the tension a little bit. And, I can actually drink while I am on the bike. That is a new skill I developed this year, goodbye camelback! I rejoice in the little milestones.

Since I am training for a flatter ride, I will tend to ride flatter terrain around here. And, since I am riding flatter terrain, I will tend to go a little faster. My average speed is now getting up to over 14mph, when it used to be a little better than 12 or 13 mph.   Not a huge amount faster, but a little. And, I am okay with that. I am not trying to be Paulie, or Matty, or Jim the skinny little fart. I am trying to be me. Me on a bike, enjoying the ride, noticing the scenery (seeing the wild turkeys in the driveway that those up ahead of me totally missed!), loving the weather (even if it is like riding into a hair dryer -- thanks Alison for the analogy), and clearing my mind. I guess the bottom line, is that it doesn't matter how fast I finish, but that I finish.


ps: Cancer sucks.

psps:  Spent a day in June taking pictures of the TNT runners that were doing the Fairfield Half Marathon, had a blast and got this great shot of Jamie Botteon, College Freshman, DI soccer player, and leukemia survivor. Go Jamie!