Hit the Road Jack

My new ride

I finally got a new bike and am very excited to begin building up my mileage. It is a Specialized Allez Carbon 2, which I acquired from a fellow member of my tri club.

It is very different riding on a road bike than it is riding on a stationary bike at the gym and there are still some aspects I need to get used to. Yesterday, I took it out for a ride down and back on my block and it was a little scary, since, as I mentioned, I live on the side of a mountain. But, I managed to survive. It took me a few seconds to figure out how to get my feet in the pedals while moving, how to handle the brakes and how not to go so fast I thought I was going to die. I still have to master the whole changing gears thing and properly turning around corners.

Freshly re-tapped bars

Thankfully, the bike was in good working condition when I got it and I only had to do a little bit of basic maintenance to get it on the road. I replaced the back brake pads, re-taped the handlebars and put some pedals on it. I also adjusted the seat. I plan on eventually getting some clipless pedals and cycling shoes, but for now, I just opted for cheap pedals with straps, so I could get going.

However, the whole situation did get me thinking about the fears which hold me back. Bicycles are really not all that complicated, but some people manage to make them seem really intimidating. It is in my nature to read all that I can about a subject before diving in and there is a lot of information available on bikes online, very little of which pertains to actually riding them. I am trying hard (though not entirely succeeding) to not get sucked into reading all about bicycles, rather than just riding. Reading can definitely assuage some of my fears, but it can also raise new ones I never knew I had.

I really want to take the bike out again, but I am still very fearful of riding on the street and getting hit by a car. I just don’t have enough skill yet. It helps to remind myself that I rode everywhere as a kid and that I also rode a bike through traffic in Denmark and wasn’t scared at all. So, I think some paths and group rides are my next step in building up mileage and experience. Allons-y!

Race Recap - Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon

The Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon was my first half marathon and I am very proud of finishing. Even though I knew, from reading the course map and other people's reviews online, that the course was going to be hilly, it was still a bit hillier than I expected. We started out on a slight incline and right off the bat headed up a very steep hill. I ended up walking quite a bit more than I expected, right out of the gate. It was a constant up and down for the entire race.

The most entertaining parts of the race were the signs of encouragement along the way that must have been created by the race volunteers. There were pictures from movies and silly sayings through the course to keep us motivated. It’s fun to be greeted by a picture of Will Ferrell saying “Wanna streak to the finish line?” when you are tired and need a laugh. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures of the signs as I was too busy running.

After a number of climbs, the race leveled out for a bit, for a long stretch along the highway. I don’t think this is the typical route of the race, as it was changed at the last minute because of unusable trails. For me, this part was just straight and boring and my least favorite part of the race. However, it was a nice break from all the hills and it also gave me a chance to eat my gels and get a second wind to tackle some more hills.

 

The last part was along the waterfront and as expected, it was very chilly. But, thankfully, I was prepared for that having done two prior runs along the waterfront.

The final mile headed back up a hill. That had me swearing just a little. Nothing like having to run uphill at the very end when you are the most exhausted, particularly when you hate hills! 

Overall, I felt my strategy and training went very well. I was grateful to have my nutrition belt, so that I could drink whenever I wanted and I timed my gels right, so I never felt too tired. At the end, my legs were very sore, but I was not so sore that it took me too long to recover. For a first half marathon I thought it went very well and I look forward to doing another one in the future. Maybe this time with less hills!