Monday, April 25, 2011

It's like falling off a horse, you have to get back on...

Despite the fact, that I have logged under 200 miles in the last two months, I finished 65 miles at the Ride For the Children this past weekend. I was shocked that riders finished after me cause I was pretty sure Peggy and I were the last riders. What's worse, we snuck out early. Not by much, but we wanted to avoid that mass start of tangled wobbly, hurried, bicycles. (It's like being in a crowded movie theater and someone yells FIRE!) It was a wise choice.

The hills were not as imposing as I remember and luckily the hazy April Arizona sun hid from sight for much of our meandering trip through beautiful Paradise Valley. We window shopped the behemoth homes and dallied with the camel at the six-mile rest stop since its portajohn beckoned without a single person there. (The portajohns at the start were like turnstalls with rows of coffee-laden riders waiting to get in. At one point, I couldn't believe we were actually back together on a charity ride once again. I am so completely and fully charmed to be able to be doing that again.

Having just attended Charlayne's peddling clinic last week, I practiced some of the drills she showed us. I imagined I was unable to pedal downward, only upward. I could feel my cadence rising higher each time I remembered to do this. It's a great lesson to practice in your quest to round out your pedal stroke and increase your might while riding.

Each hour as we pedalled and moved closer to completing our ride, I thought little of our experience last August. Instead, I enjoyed the scenery, hoped the uphill would end soon and the wind would wait a while to fully engulf us--all of the things I would have done before. Occasionally, I felt that pinching pain in my ankle as a little reminder that I am not past the physical remnants of the accident and once, had to remove my compression stocking and release my swelling foot from the confines of my cycling shoe. And, the firey pain in my shoulder flared up as if to try to distract me from the goal. But the worst reminder was the moment the Bud Light truck zoomed a little too close as we were crossing the 101 at Pima Road. It's fierce, rolling pairs of rolling tires cause me to flinch as I felt its draft as it stormed by. I recovered quickly but it was unnerving all the same.

So it's time to get out and get my speed back up to par, chalk up more miles on each of my tires and look for the beginners who are seeking answers to riding as the road calls to them.

It's rebirth on a bike. I have more of a zeal and passion than ever before to share the love of bikes.

What are you waiting for? Come out and join us...