Sunday, September 16, 2012

A Humbling Bike Ride and A Fall

Even though everyone was ahead and waiting I had to 
stop to take a couple of pictures of the Champlain Bridge.

You can see how overcast it was.


Saturday I had a humbling bike ride.  I rode with 6 people and they were all way ahead of me the entire ride.  It did push me and I had a great ride too but I was amazed at their speed.  My friend, C, was one of them so obviously she holds back when she rides with me.  We ended up doing 50 miles and it was the first time since I broke my wrist I hit that number. I had gotten close last week but not there.  (I actually rode a mile around the parking lot when I got to my car to hit this!  Does anyone else do that?  C's husband was doing the same thing.) The day was overcast which was great because it wasn't too hot. When we started it was about 50 degrees but we quickly warmed up.  We took a route that I have taken before although not always all of it and in fact we missed a small portion yesterday.
My speedy friends on top of the bridge.



 It's hills that I need to work on as that is when I would really lose them.  I was pleased with my pace overall esp. for 50 miles.  (14.2)  One of the women who went (who has only been cycling this year) was going over Lincoln Gap today and coming back over App. Gap. These are two major gaps in our area and she had also done this last week.  The back side of Lincoln Gap has a grade of 26%.  I was in awe.
We rode into Crown Point Historical Site to have a snack.  This is looking
back at the bridge from there. I was thrilled because I saw a car
from South Dakota.  Yes, I am still playing that game. I have 3 more 
to see.


Oh yes, there is a story with this.



As I was turning on to the bridge from our stop C yelled something which made me think I needed to be somewhere else.  This is where I tend to get in trouble. Before I knew what was happening I was falling - clipped in - and  not unclipping.  I did think enough to lean my body into the fall and not put my hand out. It was like I was falling in slow motion.  My side has a tiny ache in it today but other than this scraped knee I was completely fine.  Thank Goodness!  I will tell you it scared me in the short amount of time before I knew it was fine. I rode the rest of the way - probably around 20 miles with no problem whatsoever.

 I didn't come home so humbled that I am putting away my bike shoes for the winter.  I actually came home completely juiced to get out there and do another long ride.  I spent the evening pouring through my bike books looking for a route that is about 50 miles I can do next Saturday.
The women on yesterday's ride are off to the seacoast for a century which I declined to do.  I don't think I am ready but will get there another year.  I found a few different routes although the one I picked  out may be one I should save to do with friends.  I need to get after my husband to get a new bike so he will want to go more with me.  Some of the routes I am looking at would really appeal to him. I showed him a 35 mile one and he agreed he would like to try it as a lot of it goes along Lake Champlain in the northern part of the state.

Tomorrow I am heading to Sand Road which is fairly flat and a place I like to work on my speed. I'll see what I can pull out. It is the best looking day weather wise of the next few coming up.  C is going with me if she can leave work in time.
Coming into the finish a few years ago.


On another note I have been thinking about a September race. There is a race next weekend that I did once and liked.  It's a 10 K and it goes along my beloved bike path for a fair amount of it.  The only thing is I certainly wouldn't be tapering as I am heading off on my bike again on Saturday.  Later I realized that I have done a September race - that would the last triathlon I did in NH.  That counts!



18 comments:

On the Right Track said...

Hey there!!! i LOVE the new headline pic of you on your bike...what a great smile!!

stop falling!!! you just got your cast off. great pictures on the bridge...such a beautiful place you live in!

thanks for your comment...and the reassurance, ha ha ;)

Ransick said...

Great job on the ride! 50 miles is a nice long ride.

Nice job on keeping your arm in when you fell. It's not easy to do.

Unknown said...

Haha... I have done that too. I mean about riding around after returning from a ride to get my distance.

Jill said...

50 miles is a great milestone, no matter what speed. Nice work, lady!! I'm glad to hear you're pumped up to get in some hill work (I need that, too - running and biking) and the fall didn't scare you. If I had a nickle for every fall on my bike... haha.

The bridge is very pretty...reminds me a lot of my home town in Davenport, Iowa. The Centennial Bridge.

Fun ride with your friends...riding with a faster group of riders if what will make you faster. As Sabastian Coe said once, "Long slow runs will produce long slow races." I'm sure that's true in bike land too.

Char said...

I'm glad your fall only resulted in a few scrapes and bruises. You're probably a bit achey today but it could have been so much worse. And I'm glad the fall didn't put you off. It'd be tough to do your next tri without doing the cycle leg.

Average Woman Runner said...

oh those dang clips. i just tipped over in our alley a couple weeks ago in regular toe clips!

Love the pic of your bike on the bridge. She's a beauty!

Cinthia said...

Ouch! Hope your knee heals, doesn't look like a bad cut, just bad enough to look impressively tough.
Great job on the bike ride--50 miles, woot-woot!
P.S. I've been known to run around parking lots until my Garmin turned over to the next mile, hee, hee.

Christina said...

Glad you only had some scraps instead of something more serious. But be careful, nonetheless.
I like the picture of you on the bike at the top of your blog.

Johann said...

Nice riding, well done! Riding or running with stronger people must always be beneficial to us. I know I don't push as hard as I can/should on my solo runs. Glad the fall was minor this time. Have a good week!

misszippy said...

Ouch! Glad this one was minor. You are doing so well with the bike--a 50-miler is nothing to sneeze at.

Have a great week!

Darlene said...

You are amazing. Glad you weren't hurt. See you Oct 14.

Michael said...

Ouch...sorry you feel. It comes with the biking territory for sure. I have yet to not fall at least once a season since I started wearing clipless pedals.

Kate Geisen said...

Oh, friend...I'm sorry you fell, but maybe it was good for you to fall and KNOW you can fall without getting HURT hurt, you know? Humbling, but confidence building. Yeah, yeah...that's it.

Your ride sounds awesome, and riding with faster people on challenging routes is only going to make you faster and stronger.

Liz said...

You'd still fly past me on the bike! I tend to average about 10mph most of the time, and other bikers often overtake me! 50 miles is fantastic - well done!

Fran said...

Great ride Andrea.

A co-worker of mine who bikes a lot fell of his bike last week. The entire left side of his body has chafes and he could barely walk the next day. He wasn't paying attention and fell.

Teamarcia said...

Thank heavens you're ok! Looks like you had a gorgeous day to ride. Glad the fall didn't scare you into hibernation. :)

Marlene said...

Sorry to hear about the tumble but thankfully nothing too serious this time! It only takes a second to lose concentration on the bike and down we go.

Nice job pushing yourself on the ride!

Black Knight said...

Glad you were not hurt.
Great ride, congrats.
Beautiful "cloudy" photos.