I went for my first ride the other day and realized how long it's been since I last rode. I hope the course is not as hilly as the roads near me. 20 miles may be longer than I remember, and my butt is not in cycling shape (and I'm not talking about fitness). It felt good to be on a bike again, though. There were little things that came back to me. There's a particular sound to the gears when the rear derailleur is off the gear just a bit and it lets you know if you need to move it up or down a tiny bit. I couldn't describe it to you, but without thinking about it, I knew how to adjust it. Even though it's been over six years since my last ride, I kept reaching for the downtube shifters that were on my old bike. These are mounted on the stem and I think I miss having them down there. I got into the big gear today and the feeling of moving the big crankwheel just felt like power that I've missed.
However, there were a lot of things my body didn't remember. The most significant was how to be comfortable on the seat. Until I stopped 6 years ago, I had been on a bike so regularly, that I couldn't remember ever feeling uncomfortable in the saddle. That changed the other day. Even with bike shorts, I'm definitely out of practice, but it's still worth it. Being out on a back road, rolling along, it all came back why I love to ride. There will not be another seven year itch because I will never again go that long without riding.
As for the triathlon, I'm not sure what's going to happen. It's 20 miles and I've got two weeks to get my butt into riding shape. Hopefully I won't be wet from the kayak portion before, and hopefully I'll be able to run the 4.5 miles after.
No comments:
Post a Comment