Just when you think things are going smoothly.....

We arrived in B.C. safe and sound.  The drive was long, but uneventful-in a good way.  We had nice weather, minimal hold ups, and everything went as planned.  No two ways about it-24 hours of driving is a looooong time in the car!

As planned, we got together with the Ride2Survive group to do the very last group training ride on Saturday morning.  It was a 100km ride (60 miles), at an easy pace.  Simple, right?  Not so fast.....

The group was practicing a rolling paceline.  For the non cyclists, it means riding side by side in a long line, and having the left side ride slightly faster than the right side.  When the front left side gets past the right side, they roll over to the right line.  When you are the last rider on the right side, you pull left and follow the left lane.  It's a rolling circle.  When it's done right-it's very efficient, and looks pretty darn smooth too.

When it's not going well, it's easy for things to go very wrong.  On this day, it wasn't the prettiest paceline, and about 2 riders up from me, someone slammed on their brakes, unexplanably.  Unexplained brake slams are never a good thing when you're riding 2 inches off the rider in front of you's wheel.  Anyway, long story short, I had to slam on my brakes and to avoid slamming right into the rider in front of me, I did a sharp turn to the right to try to avoid collision.  My bike folded, and I hit the bike and the pavement in all sorts of crazy ways.  Of all things, I completely smushed my right knee.  Yes, the same knee I've been trying desperately to rehab from tendonitis.  UGH!!  All things considered, I faired pretty well.  No broken bones, no ligament pulls, no major issues at all.  In fact, after a brief ride in the SAG vehicle (Support and Gear vehicle), I got back on my bike and completed the rest of the training ride.

Now that I've had a day or so, I know the full extend of damage.  My knee is extremely sore in side and out.  I don't know what I've done, I suspect just trauma.  I don't suspect anything broken.  My collarbone has a beautiful blue/green bruise on it, which matches the ones on my pubic bone and left knee.  I've pulled pebbles out of my right hand, but it seems to have faired pretty well-not too sore.  I'm not sure what I hit my right side ribs on, but there is pain under there too.

Crashes happen.  That's life.  I'm frustrated that it happened to me.  But when all is said and done, I must put this in perspective.  That same day, a rider in the Ride to Conquer Cancer ride (a 2 day ride that left that same morning for a 2 day 200 some odd km ride down to Seattle) was killed.  He was 16 years old and was riding to support his Uncle-a cancer survivor.  I can't stop thinking about him.  He was killed while trying to do something good.  For Den and I, this whole bike riding to raise money for cancer started with him riding the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  He did that ride in 2009, mere months after having the lobe of his lung removed to rid him of the cancer.  It seemed absolutely absurd that he would aspire to do that ride.  He signed up just after getting released from the hospital, when breathing while sitting was a chore and hurt.  He wasn't a bike rider, he hadn't been for years.  He wasn't even in particularly great shape.  Yet, he needed to make a difference somehow for those battling cancer after him.  The morning of our training ride, our entire team went on the course on our bikes and rode backwards through it, to cheer on every single rider doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  That means, we waved to this young man, and wished him well.  Just a face in the sea of riders, all smiling.  All there for the same purpose.  The same purpose the Ride2Survive rides.  To put an end to cancer.  And that same day, he crashed and died.  I crashed and got through it with very minor injuries.  Perspective.

Having said all of that, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about not being able to ride on Saturday. I've worked so hard for this.  If there is any way for me to fight through the pain and still ride, I will be there.  I will not let this stop me if I can help it.  It's just a bummer that it's happened so close to the end goal.  Regardless, I will be there with the team.  We will wish for sunny skies, good memories, and lots of funds raised to fight cancer.  But most of all we will wish for all of our riders to make it home safely to their families.

Winding down

I started this blog as a way to document training for an event that quite honestly, I couldn't get my head around how you train for.

After many ups and downs, and many months, my conclusion is that you probably aren't ever truly ready.  I doubt I will EVER wake up one morning and say "I'm totally ready to ride 248 miles/400 kms over two mountain passes in a single day".  Never.

What does happen over the course of those months (at least what has happened to me) is that you realize that you did what you could, you trained hard, and you will do your absolute best.  Perhaps your best will not be good enough, but it's your best.  And in that way, I guess I'm ready.  I've done my best.  I've trained hard.  I've trained often.  I've varied the type of cycling that I've done.  And no-I in no way feel like I'm ready.  But I'm as ready as I can be at this point.  Does that make sense?

When I think about the event, I actually get butterflies in my stomach, and it's still almost 2 weeks out.  I thought that was a 'night before' type of thing.  My butterflies must be over achievers.

I feel enormously proud of the fundraising that we've done, and how our friends and family have come together to support us, and this worthy cause.  Over the last 5 years, together we (Den and I, and all of you) have raised nearly $30,000 towards cancer research.  Forget about all of this jibberish about training rides-THAT's what it's all about.

Den and I went on a training ride Sunday that we've done a few times before.  There was a noticeable difference in the way he climbed the 8 mile long hill. He noted a 3 km/hr improvement in his climbing speed, but honestly-I didn't need a computer to tell me that.  I could SEE it.   He was right on my butt the entire time, whereas previously he would drop off. So yes, there have been improvements in our riding (well......his riding at least.  What does that say about mine? LOL).  Here are a few pictures from that ride.  We had fun!

I know what you're thinking......."How can someone do all of that training and still be pear shaped?" :-)

Since I've been kind of slack on the blog lately, I haven't yet mentioned that just over a week ago, Den and I completed the Elephant Rock Century Ride down in Castle Rock, CO.  (Century ride meaning 100 miles-for the non-cylclists reading this).  We got up at 4:00am to pack the car and drive down (hour drive away).  It's a popular ride, with approximately 7,000 riders doing various distances.  The 100 mile ride is advertised as just over 3,000 feet of climbing.  Den's GPS at the end of the ride said 6,000.  A *tad* different......and not in our favor!  Mr. Literal was not pleased.  Mr. Literal is also known as Mr. I Hate to Climb Hills.  Put those two together, and whooooo boy, I'm glad I can only hear well in one ear!  :-)  In addition to the distance, and the climbing, we also had to contend with a 30 mile per hour head wind for a good majority of the ride.  I liken this to pulling a heavy carrier and a couple of kids behind you at all times.  There was a LOT of grumbling about it on the ride, and I swear to you it wasn't even all Den! LOL.  No seriously, it was the talk of the ride.  On one particular rest stop, we were actually contemplating taking a right turn on the course instead of a left-to allow us to cut off the extra loop that turned it from a 60 mile ride into a century ride.  Of course Mr. Perspective had to step in and time our stop to coincide perfectly with a man with a prosthetic leg-who also was doing the 100 mile ride.  Sometimes perspective is a great thing.  In this instance, it allowed us to suck up our whines (or at least not be so verbal about them......inner turmoil *may* have still been there) and be so thankful for what our bodies are allowing us to do.  We are healthy and strong and must only overcome our minds.  Indeed, we are truly fortunate.  Anyway, we were out on the course for 8 hours, with just over 6 1/2 hours of that in the saddle.  It wasn't that fun, and it wasn't our best century (only other one we've done is the Whatcom Century ride in Bellingham, WA and it was so amazingly beautiful and fun!), but you know what?  We did every mile of it.  It will be our longest training ride before Ride2Survive.  We've reasoned it by saying that A) it's extremely difficult to be a mule and pack everything you would need on your body for such a long ride.  This was the longest supported ride we would be able to find.  B) We were riding it on our own....so even though the team has done a 200km (120mile) training ride, there is strength in numbers.  Riding that long on our own has to count for something (!!??).

 Lest you think it's been all about road cycling, I assure you we like variety in our life.  Have gotten out on mountain bikes (me) and Cruisers (Den) too.  Is it wrong to admit that I'd take either one of those types of riding over road cycling?  They are all fun in their own right, but maybe because the cruising and mountain biking are relatively new to me.....they sure are FUN!

Cruising around our neighborhood, so stinking happy with his Father's Day (early) gift.

Hall Ranch, Lyons, CO.  So amazingly beautiful there, and such a wicked cardio up! LOVED IT!

So there it is folks.  Tomorrow morning at first light, we depart on a long 2 day drive to B.C.  We bumped up our original plans so that we can ride one training ride with the R2S group.  This Saturday we'll ride 100 km (60 miles) with the group (it's taper time!), and besides a few other short rides, that's IT before ride day.  It'll be great to meet all of the new riders, see all of our old friends again, and get back to riding in a peloton (which is SO FUN!).  

All of our training has lead to this.  I have internal pressure to complete every mile of the ride, if for no other reason than to put to rest this self doubt that I have and prove that your mind can overcome a lot of things.  That, and the fact that I've said I'm going to do it and asked friends and family for money support.  I know it's not about the bike.  I get that.  It's about raising money for cancer.  But finishing this ride will feel so good and feel like one last final kick at cancer, which has caused so much grief for so many of us.  Ride2Survive as a group, has raised over $2 MILLION dollars for cancer research, and done it without taking a single cent from the cause.  Volunteers that come together and raise that much money?  Amazing.......and something I'm so proud to be a part of.

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I started this blog yesterday but got distracted by a phone call telling me that the bike shop found a bike for me.  Yay!  After much consideration, I decided on a Specialized Amira Expert, Lululemon team edition colors.  It's near impossible to find.  We found one in the wrong size in Boulder, which allowed me to see it in person and know that it was pretty darn great looking. :-)  The shop found one in California and they're going to have it shipped (Specialized has none, this was found at another Specialized dealer).  Unfortunately, it'll get here long after we start our drive to B.C. so it'll have to be a "Yay, you finished (attempted?) the Ride2Survive" reward bike.