My dad and I rode 40 miles the day after Thanksgiving this year! One of my favorite things about this time of the year is spending time with family. A few years ago, my dad and I started a tradition of doing a LONG bike ride on the day after Thanksgiving. Neither of us are all that interested in Black Friday sales, so it works. On that Friday afternoon we took our bikes out to Anderson Pointe in Raleigh, NC and rode exactly 40 miles. I love being able to share this experience with my dad, who is the person who really introduced me to sports when I was a kid. Thankfully this year the weather was much better than last year. We were treated to 70 degree weather, which was WAY different from last year where we were lucky if it was in the 40s (not to mention it was raining) I think last year we rode 36 miles. I was nearly frozen when we got back to the car, so this was a welcomed change!
Falls Lake! The most difficult part of this ride is just before you arrive at the Falls Lake Dam. You have to dismount the bike and climb up a VERY steep hill with lose gravel. My bike, Monsoon, was carried up the majority of the hill. Partly to make it a little easier to manage, and partly (or maybe mostly) to get my heart rate up. I love having a bike I can throw over my shoulder and start booking it up a hill.
Backing up just a tad... Before I started up the hill, I was stopped by a park worker who was admiring my bike. "That's quite the machine you got there!" He asked how far I planned to ride and I said, "Well, right now I'm at 18 miles but the plan is 40 miles today." I always hope it never comes across as either bragging or sarcasm. He just looked at me like I was insane. I can understand that because I remember as a kid thinking a mile on a bike was a long way. Now, I can barely get to a safe place to ride after a mile. Anyway, I told him I had only had the bike since April and mentioned my bike accident. I like being able to take my unfortunate incident as an opportunity to educate others on road safety.
This bike ride, however, was not without its adventure. At about mile 28, my dad said, "Hey, lets take this turn and see where it goes." Where it went to over something sharp which gave him a flat tire!! Fortunately, I had a TON of experience over the summer fixing flats at Babits Bikes, where I worked over the summer. I fixed his tire in no time and we were back on the pavement! Speaking of flat tires, have you ever heard of the magic stuff called Mr. Tuffy's? Allow me to educate you . . . Tire liners will save you from flats! After finding myself at the bike shop every week with a flat, I was introduced to Mr. Tuffy's Tire Liners which I recommend to anyone who rides ANYWHERE. They are a thick strip that fits between your tube and tire and protects your thin, dedicate tube from road debris like glass, thorns, nails, and anything else sharp. When I worked at the shop over the summer, I recommended them to anyone who came in with a flat tire and anyone who bought a new bike. In my opinion, they are about as important as a helmet! Not to seem dramatic, but imagine going down a hill and your front tire pops! Hope you got your helmet on!! Tire liners will help prevent the accident to begin with, which is why I say they are a MUST HAVE. Check out your local bike shop and pick some up. They run about $18-$22, depending on your tire size. I am happy to help you with sizing or any questions, just post them below!
Monsoon, dressed in a CycleOps Mag trainer and climbing block!
So now it is December and the days are getting shorter and colder, so the days of riding outside are becoming less and less. Enter, the trainer. The trainer is to a rider as the treadmill is to a runner. It's torture. However!!! They serve an important purpose too. The trainer allows you to use your own bike to train miles in the winter. This is unlike how a stationary bike would work. Yes, you can work on cardio, but your body position is different on your bike and a stationary bike. While thinking about Ironman Maryland 2016, I am pushed to work hard on the trainer this winter so that when the weather permits, I can go out and kill it on the road! This was also a purchase made at Babits Bikes in Greenville, NC. I am super thrilled with my decision to get this trainer. John has been awesome with supporting me in the cycling department of triathlon. Nothing helps you more than having an expert in each discipline of triathlon. I sometimes have an idea for what I want, which I tell John what I want and what my goals are, and then he takes that and gives me a BETTER idea, and more direction with things. He deserves a lot of credit for helping me with cycling, even though he doesn't think he does. I know most of what I know about cycling, thanks to him.
Winter break is coming up in less than two weeks and I am looking forward to taking some time to do some hiking with Haro and Bud (my two little dogs). I will admit that I am rather depressed this Christmas. I have not hung a single decoration in my apartment, and honestly I start to tear up when I think about Christmas, because this is the first year I will not have Justus. You may think he is just a dog, but to me he was my heart and soul. I had Justus for over 10 years and everything is different without him. I just want to get to January 2016 and make things different next year. 2015 will definitely be a year of ups and downs, highlights and heartbreaks, new beginnings and tough endings. I just wiped tears away after writing this. . .
It's like Dory said in Finding Nemo. . . "Just keep swimming," Then again, she couldn't remember anything. But regardless, I will try to take her advice. Until the next post. . .
It's like Dory said in Finding Nemo. . . "Just keep swimming," Then again, she couldn't remember anything. But regardless, I will try to take her advice. Until the next post. . .
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